Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia

Bill Gates Foundation Grants $30M for Malaria Vaccine Project

by Medindia Content Team on Dec 8 2007 1:11 PM

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently pledge a $30 million, five-year grant to the Seattle-based Infectious Disease Research Institute for adjuvants, or components needed to manufacture malaria vaccines, the Puget Sound Business Journal reports.

When combined with an antigen, adjuvants prompt an effective immune system response and bolster the strength and lifespan of specific immune responses.

According to an IDRI release, most adjuvants are owned by large pharmaceutical companies and are not easily available to researchers who work on vaccines for diseases that largely affect developing countries.

IDRI will work with the World Health Organization and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative to identify promising vaccine candidates.

The new vaccines will then be given adjuvants provided by the new Gates grant. "This grant enables IDRI to help advance the development of malaria vaccines," Steven Reed, head of IDRI's research and development program, said.

Source-Kaiser Family Foundation
LIN/P


Advertisement