AMANET launches a Phase 2 Clinical Trial of Candidate Malaria Vaccine GMZ2
The African Malaria Network Trust (AMANET), through a grant received from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), has launched a multi-site phase IIb clinical trial of the candidate malaria vaccine GMZ2 to assess its efficacy and safety among young children with a high risk of getting malaria in Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana and Uganda. Composed of Plasmodium falciparum glutamate rich protein (GLURP) and merozoite surface protein 3 (MSP3), GMZ2 induces an immune response that impedes multiplication of the parasite stages that lead to clinical symptoms, complications or even death.
Trials of this candidate vaccine are being conducted under the auspices of the GMZ2 Consortium, which is funded by EDCTP and operates under several work packages fostering research capacity strengthening, networking and the management of this vaccine candidate. AMANET is the Consortium coordinator and sponsor for these trials. Other partners for this consortium are, the Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP) in Burkina Faso, Statens Serum Institut (SSI) in Denmark, the Medical Research Unit at Albert Schweitzer Hospital (MRU-ASH) in Gabon, the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratories in The Gambia, University of Tübingen, Germany, Makerere University in Uganda and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in the UK.