BioNTech wants to “help eradicate malaria” by using the same breakthrough mRNA vaccine technology used to develop a coronavirus vaccine, the pharmaceutical company said Monday (26/07).
Perusahaan farmasi yang berbasis di Jerman itu mengatakan pihaknya bertujuan untuk memulai uji coba vaksin malaria klinis pada akhir tahun 2022.
Jika berhasil, vaksin itu bisa menjadi perkembangan besar dalam perang melawan malaria yang membunuh lebih dari 400.000 orang per tahun, terutama anak-anak di Afrika. Penyakit ini disebabkan oleh parasit yang biasanya menginfeksi jenis nyamuk tertentu yang menggigit manusia.
"Kami akan melakukan apa pun untuk mengembangkan vaksin malaria berbasis mRNA yang aman dan efektif yang akan mencegah penyakit, mengurangi kematian dan memastikan solusi berkelanjutan untuk benua Afrika dan wilayah lain yang terkena penyakit ini," kata CEO BioNTech Ugur Sahin dalam sebuah pernyataan.
Merencanakan fasilitas BioNTech Afrika
The project is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the European Union (EU).
BioNTech developed the first widely approved coronavirus vaccine in conjunction with its US pharmaceutical partner, Pfizer. The German pharmaceutical company said it also hopes to build an mRNA vaccine production unit in Africa. The continent is still struggling to get enough doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
European Union: ‘A revolution in medical science’
“We are witnessing the beginning of a revolution in medical science, the mRNA revolution,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Monday (26/07).
“Eradication of malaria is now a realistic goal and now we know it can be achieved in this generation.”
Scientists believe mRNA technology, which drives immune responses by delivering genetic molecules containing the code for key parts of pathogens into human cells, could be a game changer against some diseases.
The technology is also a faster way to develop vaccines than traditional methods, and could end decades of searching for a reliable malaria vaccine.
pkp / ha (AFP, dpa, Reuters, AP)
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