Medicines for Malaria Venture

🎬 On #Malaria Day in the Americas, see how the #innovations resulting from global #partnerships are providing a single-dose radical cure for relapsing P. vivax malaria among indigenous communities in remote areas of the Amazon and supporting Brazil’s goal of eliminating the disease by 2035.  Mariana Vasconcelos, Marcus Lacerda, Rosilene Ruffato, Eliana Pasini, MedAccess, PATH, GSK, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Doutor Heitor Vieira Dourado, SD BIOSENSOR INC, Pan American Health Organization

The Partnership for Vivax Elimination (PAVE), led by PATH and MMV, has published 'Lessons Learned from Operational Research', a resource for National Malaria Programme (NMP) Managers and other stakeholders involved in the planning and delivery of P. vivax #malaria case management.     The document, which shares the consolidated experience derived from diverse study settings, can support the introduction of new radical cure tools for P. vivax malaria in alignment with national and World Health Organization guidelines.    Find it here in Spanish and English: bit.ly/40n4w1s 

Good news: a recent market study conducted by MMV's Pierre Hugo, Celine Audibert, Adam Aspinall and André Tchouatieu MD has been selected by Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease as an Editor’s Choice article! The article discusses the deployment of multiple first-line treatments (MFT) to address antimalarial drug resistance and support #malaria control and elimination efforts. 

Post-discharge malaria chemoprevention (PDMC) is an intervention aimed at preventing #malaria in children hospitalized for severe anaemia. Its efficacy has been established in several clinical trials.     Recently, MMV’s Celine Audibert and Hans Rietveld conducted a qualitative study in five sub-Saharan countries to understand the factors that could influence the uptake and scale-up of PDMC and identify preferred delivery mechanisms.     The findings, which were recently published in the Malaria Journal, provide insights on which measures and delivery channel could facilitate and strengthen the roll-out of PDMC.    Read the study: bit.ly/3Ciq59e 

Mark your calendars 📆 #TropMed24 is less than two weeks away! Join MMV and TDR on Friday, 15 November from 7:00–8:45 AM for a special joint anniversary symposium on the trilogy of tools transforming #malaria prevention: new insecticides, expanded chemoprevention and the first generation of vaccines.     We’ll have breakfast, powerful Ted-style talks and a panel discussion moderated by Daniel Ngamije Madandi, Director of the World Health Organization Global Malaria Programme.    More info on this symposium: bit.ly/MMV_TDR 

In a new opinion piece published in Research Features, MMV’s Director of Drug Disposition & PBPK Modelling, Nada Abla Geiser makes a case for Plasmodium vivax #malaria radical cure with primaquine in breastfeeding women.  Currently, breastfeeding women with P. vivax malaria face limited treatment options, which represents a clear health equity issue. Dr Abla Geiser’s article references a recent position paper co-authored with MMV colleagues and partners, and highlights crucial clinical and modelling data to support primaquine’s use in breastfeeding populations. The article is aimed at summarizing currently available evidence to support future recommendations on the use of this treatment in breastfeeding populations with P. vivax malaria.  Visit our website to read the op-ed: bit.ly/3C1SxfB 

MMV and partners have developed an updated target product profile for the next generation of chemoprevention, which includes long-acting oral and injectable drugs.    Chemoprevention, along with vector control and the first generation of #malaria #vaccines, represent a powerful trio of prevention tools that can help us accelerate towards the goal of zero malaria deaths.     Despite the recent expansion of chemoprevention to more children and pregnant women in endemic countries, challenges around acceptability, feasibility, the lack of options for women in their first trimester of pregnancy, and the potential emergence of resistance persist. This updated target product profile aims to address these challenges and serve as a roadmap to guide innovation for drugs that are likely to constitute the backbone of malaria prevention.     Read the full target product profile, published in the Malaria Journal: bit.ly/3Yls7Nr  

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