Medicines for Malaria Venture

On behalf of the entire MMV team, congratulations to Professor Kelly Chibale for his recent election to the US National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honours in the fields of health and medicine.     As the founder of the Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), University of Cape Town, Africa’s first fully integrated drug discovery centre, Prof. Chibale has played a leading role in advancing scientific innovation on the continent. He has also worked alongside MMV for over 16 years to discover new drug candidates with the potential to treat and prevent malaria, and has served on our Expert Scientific Advisory Committee.     Read more: bit.ly/3Uq5oOQ 

#PressRelease We are thrilled to announce the start of the first-ever clinical trial for a long-acting injectable (LAI) for #malaria prevention. Conducted by MMV and Quotient Sciences, the study is assessing one part of a drug combination that aims to provide up to 3 months of protection with a single injection.  If successful, this innovative approach could significantly impact malaria prevention efforts, particularly in high-risk areas.    Watch the short video below to learn more: 

In malaria elimination, the last mile is often the most challenging and requires considerable vigilance among healthcare providers to manage suspected cases.     A new study published in the Malaria Journal assessed the performance of a digital tool to support healthcare providers in correctly managing suspected cases and preventing the re-establishment of the disease in malaria-free areas. The study found that the tool helped to identify and fill data gaps, and could benefit settings where local #malaria transmission has been interrupted or is low. Implementation of the tool could support the many challenges associated with the last mile of malaria elimination.    Read the study: bit.ly/3A2xSY6  

Investing in malaria elimination will not only save lives, it will also boost economies and increase global trade. But as it stands, #malaria is both a health and economic burden for the individuals, families and communities living in endemic countries.    In rural Uganda, treating a malaria infection can lead to ‘catastrophic health expenditures’, where a family must spend a substantial portion of its monthly income on out-of-pocket medical costs. This, together with missing work due to illness, can perpetuate the cycles of poverty malaria causes.      A new study published in OUP Academic analyses the cost of illness, equity and economic burden of malaria in Uganda: bit.ly/3A3tvfl 

Less than 1% of R&D funding for neglected and emerging infectious diseases has included pregnant and lactating women, according to a new report published by Impact Global Health.     This has led to a gap in available data on safety and efficacy of medicines in pregnancy, including antimalarials. Bridging this gap and advancing inclusive R&D is imperative to delivering better health outcomes for pregnant and lactating women, and achieving a malaria-free future.     Together with our partners, MMV is challenging the status quo that excludes pregnant and lactating women from clinical trials and contributing to the paradigm shift required to improve maternal health, in malaria-endemic countries and around the world.    Read the report: bit.ly/3YcfyUA 

This past Sunday, the World Health Organization certified Egypt as malaria free, making it the third country in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region – after the United Arab Emirates and Morocco – to achieve this historic milestone. Globally, a total of 44 countries and one territory have received this certification, which is awarded when a country has interrupted #malaria transmission within its borders for at least 3 consecutive years and has demonstrated the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission. Congratulations to Egypt for this historic feat, which has been a century in the making, and for being a success story that can support other countries in the region to achieve the same. Read more: bit.ly/3AaMbKf

In the last decade, 90% of South Korea’s malaria patients have been infected in regions near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas.     The DMZ is a remote area covered by forests and wetlands, making it an ideal breeding ground for #malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Moreover, new challenges posed by #climatechange, including warmer springs and increased rainfall, are adding to this complexity.     Read more about the unique challenges South Korea must overcome to eliminate malaria: bit.ly/3YCwfKp 

The July SLAS Discovery article, Compound management in a virtual research organization: The cornerstone of a reliable MMV discovery engine, explains how Medicines for Malaria Venture and its partners established a pipeline for more efficient compound management libraries and processes that help support the screening of drugs to help eradicate malaria and other overlooked diseases. https://lnkd.in/evDjCE_M

Can Africa’s malaria-endemic countries catch up to Algeria, Cabo Verde and Mauritius, who have successfully eliminated the deadly disease?    This question was recently put to two prominent malaria experts – Francine Ntoumi and Corine Karema – who dove into the topic on the Global Health Matters podcast hosted by Garry Aslanyan from the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR). During the conversation, the experts discussed key challenges to #malaria elimination – including funding, drug resistance and climate change – but also maintained that boosting and accelerating efforts, along with getting better at collecting and leveraging data, can support other African countries in their elimination efforts.    Read more and listen to the podcast: bit.ly/4eK3lNw 

MMV at the World Health Summit in Berlin- at least the ones who could make the photo! We are there discussing #innovation in drug development, how to tackle global health threats such as #malaria drug resistance and #partnership models to drive impact. Innovation comes at the intersection of fields, disciplines and backgrounds. Connecting and reconnecting with partners at conferences like these allow us to propel progress in malaria and beyond. 🚀 #WHS2024 #AMR #GlobalHealth #Partnership Justine Dufour Chris Greenwood Valentina Rapillard Andrea Lucard Abena Poku-Awuku Martin Fitchet, M.D. RBM Partnership to End Malaria The Global Fund Vestergaard European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership Impact Santé Afrique GSK University of Oxford Chevron Envu Business Alliance Against Malaria (BAAM) Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative - DNDi IVCC (Innovative Vector Control Consortium) FIND PATH IAVI Sabin Vaccine Institute TB Alliance TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI)