Malaria vaccine delivers unexpected bonus to Prima

Prima BioMed subsidiary PanVax and researchers at the Austin Research Institute have demonstrated that a malaria vaccine developed using its DCtag adjuvant technology is able to eradicate established disease in mice infected with malaria.

Earlier experiments, also carried out by Assoc Prof Magda Plebanski at the Austin, demonstrated that mice immunised with the DCtag malaria vaccine did not develop an infection when exposed to the malarial pathogen Plasmodium falciparum.

"These new results confirm the increasing value of the intellectual property associated with the DCtag project as there is the potential to develop a malaria vaccine using the DCtag technology that will both prevent malaria and treat, potentially eradicating, an established infection," said Prima CEO Marcus Clark.

The dual modality of the malaria vaccine is a plus that the company wasn't really expecting, according to Clark, and would substantially boost the commercial potential of the technology.

Based around an inexpensive nanoparticle adjuvant, PanVax is working with scientists at the Austin to develop the DCtag technology platform, which has potential to enhance immunotherapies including vaccines for a variety of diseases including malaria, cancer and viral diseases by boosting the cellular immune response.

The company plans to complete the initial technology package by mid-year, and Clark said the company would shortly announce a collaboration with an international biotechnology company, in addition to the Institut Pasteur collaboration announced earlier this year.

PanVax has also been having discussions with the Malaria Vaccine Initiative, funded by the US-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, according to Clark. He said the discovery that the technology could be used to eradicate existing cases of malaria would crystallise the initiative's interest and open up exciting new prospects for development vaccines and immunotherapeutics.