The World Health Organisation’s approval this week for Mosquirix is a milestone in the fight against the deadly disease after decades of research.
The vaccine, developed by the British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, is the first anti-malarial jab to get the green light.
Prof Matthias Marti, a parasitology professor at the University of Glasgow in the UK whose lab researches malaria, described approval as “very significant”.
“It’s the first parasitic disease to be targeted with a vaccine,” he said. “It’s the first approved malaria vaccine to be supported by the WHO. It also has a symbolic effect.”
It’s the first approved malaria vaccine to be supported by the WHO. It also has a symbolic effect.
Prof Matthias Marti,
University of Glasgow
While highly effective vaccines against Covid-19 were developed in less than a year, malaria, which is caused by a much more complex parasite, has proved to be a greater challenge.
The disease still causes a devastating toll, killing more than 400,000 people each year, including more than 260,000 under-fives in sub-Saharan Africa.
Why is the disease so deadly and how does the vaccine work?
What causes malaria?
Malaria is caused by a single-cell parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, which is neither a virus nor a bacterium, and is transmitted to people by infected mosquitoes.
“These parasites are much more complicated organisms and they have more complex ways to evade host immunity,” Prof Marti said.
When the mosquito injects a person with anticoagulant saliva – to stop their blood from clotting – a form of the parasite known as a sporozoite is injected into the person’s bloodstream.
Sporozoites travel to the liver, where they multiply, before entering red blood cells and replicating further, releasing another form of the parasite.
Disease symptoms are caused by the parasite’s effects on these red blood cells.
Subsequently, mosquitoes are infected when they ingest yet another form of Plasmodium falciparum when they feed on the blood of infected people, and the cycle continues.
How long has Mosquirix been under development?
Drugs against malaria were first made available in the 19th century and initially were produced from naturally occurring substances. Current drugs are synthesised artificially.
Research findings linked to a possible antimalarial vaccine date from the late 1890s, although modern-day efforts to develop a vaccine began in the 1960s with immunisation studies on mice.
Mosquirix, also known as RTS,S, was created in 1987 by researchers in GSK’s laboratories, according to the company.
Support for the project also comes from the likes of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. GSK said development costs were $700 million.
Research funding for a vaccine may be more limited than it would have been had malaria continued to affect richer parts of the world.
In 2015, after the results of trials were reported, European drug regulators announced a “positive opinion” of the vaccine.
Over the past two years Mosquirix been given to 800,000 children in pilot programmes in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, with 2.3 million doses administered, according to the WHO.
How effective is the vaccine?
It cuts the risk of deadly cases of malaria by 30 per cent, the WHO said, even in areas where precautionary measures such as the use of insecticide-treated bed nets are in place, and there is good diagnosis and treatment.
While efficacy is much lower than for some other vaccines, the WHO predicts that a wide-scale roll-out could save tens of thousands of lives a year.
Mosquirix is given in four doses, with numbers one, two and three administered monthly from the age of five months. The final dose should be given by the time the child is 18 months old.
Prof Marti said the vaccine alone was not going to eliminate malaria because of its modest efficacy, and even the addition of antimalarial drugs were not a complete solution, not least because resistance develops over time.
But combining approaches could prove effective. “There’s no single silver bullet,” he said.
How will the vaccine be distributed?
GSK has said it will provide 15 million doses of Mosquirix each year and, if funding is available, the company said roll-outs among children in sub-Saharan Africa could start in late 2022 or early 2023.
The company said it would make a 5 per cent profit on each dose and was not looking to recoup its development costs.
Other malaria vaccines are under development, including a modified form of Mosquirix called R21, which in relatively small-scale trials in Burkina Faso reported in April was found to be 77 per cent effective at preventing malaria over a year – the equivalent figure for Mosquirix is 56 per cent.
While Mosquirix represents a big step forward, the WHO said that getting a second malaria vaccine approved would be “highly beneficial”, especially because it would increase supply.
Prof Marti’s group hopes to better understand human-to-mosquito transmission of the parasite, which could be targeted by other vaccines. The key, he said, was for efforts to continue.
“Each time breakthroughs come, the danger is people become complacent and the support and political will falls,” he said.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
RESULTS
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Overall head-to-head
Federer 6-1 Cilic
Head-to-head at Wimbledon
Federer 1-0 Cilic
Grand Slams titles
Federer 18-1 Cilic
Best Wimbledon performance
Federer: Winner (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012)
Cilic: Final (2017*)
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
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Name: N2 Technology
Founded: 2018
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Startups
Size: 14
Funding: $1.7m from HNIs
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
