Milestone in Malaria Fight: First Volunteers Receive Long-Acting Injectable for Prevention

Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and Quotient Sciences have initiated the first clinical trial for a long-acting injectable (LAI) preventive compound aimed at combating malaria. This trial, taking place with healthy volunteers in Nottingham, UK, represents a crucial advancement in efforts to prevent malaria in regions where the disease is endemic.

The World Health Organization reported that in 2022, malaria affected 249 million people and resulted in 608,000 fatalities worldwide, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 95% of these cases. To address this persistent public health emergency, innovative strategies for malaria prevention are urgently needed. The trial is investigating MMV371, a derivative of atovaquone—an ingredient already found in the widely used antimalarial treatment atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone®). This injectable form aims to offer up to three months of protection with a single intramuscular administration.

In this first-in-human clinical trial, researchers are assessing the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of the drug, which involves understanding how the body processes the medicine. The eventual injectable product will combine MMV371 with another suitable drug, a tactic designed to minimize the risk of developing resistant malaria strains. A potential candidate for this partner drug is MMV055, which is slated to begin clinical development in 2025.

The study will explore various dosage levels of MMV371 in adult participants. If successful, this new treatment could significantly enhance protection against infections from all malaria parasite species, including the two most prevalent strains: Plasmodium vivax and the highly lethal Plasmodium falciparum.