Updated on 9 October 2013
RTS,S is the most advanced malaria vaccine candidate in the world and the first vaccine candidate to show in clinical trials that it can help protect young children and infants
Singapore: Agenus presented phase III data for GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) RTS,S malaria vaccine candidate, which contains Agenus' QS-21 Stimulon adjuvant, at a Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Pan African Conference in Durban, South Africa.
The abstract and presentation titled, 'Efficacy of RTS,S/AS01 vaccine candidate against malaria in African infants and children 18 months post-primary vaccination series: a phase III randomized, double-blind controlled trial', shows that RTS,S helped protect young children and infants from clinical malaria up to 18 months post vaccination.
RTS,S is the most advanced malaria vaccine candidate in the world and the first vaccine candidate to show in clinical trials that it can help protect young children and infants living in malaria-endemic areas against clinical disease and infection caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Malaria claims over 600,000 lives a year, most of which are children in Sub-Saharan Africa.
"These findings indicate that RTS,S has the potential to help prevent millions of malaria cases. We are very pleased that our QS-21 Stimulon adjuvant is a key component of AS01, a proprietary adjuvant system used in RTS,S," said Dr Garo H Armen, chairman and CEO, Agenus.
Dr Armen also added, "These results provide further support that QS-21 Stimulon can help advance challenging development programs targeting difficult diseases. Currently there are 21 development programs underway involving vaccines that include QS-21 Stimulon for many different types of cancer, infectious diseases and degenerative disorders."