The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has developed AdFalciVax, the country’s first indigenous two-stage malaria vaccine targeting Plasmodium falciparum. The vaccine is now ready for technology transfer to interested partners for large-scale production.

Key Points:

• AdFalciVax is a recombinant chimeric vaccine developed by ICMR-RMRC Bhubaneswar in collaboration with ICMR-NIMR and NII (DBT).
• The vaccine targets both the pre-erythrocytic (infection-blocking) and sexual (transmission-blocking) stages of the malaria parasite.
• It is thermally stable at room temperature for over nine months and uses Lactococcus lactis, a food-grade bacterium, for production.
• ICMR has issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) to transfer the vaccine technology under a non-exclusive, royalty-based license.
• The initiative aligns with the "Make in India" vision and aims to boost self-reliance in combating malaria through domestic vaccine production.