International PfSPZ Consortium Annual Meeting

The International PfSPZ Consortium (I-PfSPZ-C) held its semi-annual meeting at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore on 9th and 10th November. This meeting saw record attendance of malaria researchers associated with Sanaria’s PfSPZ program with 145 attendees from 44 institutions in 14 countries present in the room and more people joining online from around the world. Click here for the 2017 I-PfSPZ-C meeting agenda.

The whole of Sanaria’s clinical research portfolio was covered in a highly interactive forum during which the results of ongoing clinical trials and plans for the next set of trials were discussed and developed. Plans for moving to Phase 3 clinical trials in the USA, Germany, and Equatorial Guinea were discussed at length as these trials will provide the clinical data that will be a key component of applications for vaccine licensure/registration in the USA (FDA), Europe (EMA), and Africa (specific regulatory authorities).

In addition, there was considerable discussion and input from the I-PfSPZ-C members about the deployment of PfSPZ vaccines in elimination programs, when combined with an optimal package of control measures. There is an urgent need to demonstrate the safety of PfSPZ Vaccine in vulnerable individuals, especially HIV positive individuals and women of childbearing potential. The plans for the former and pathways to move forward with the latter were discussed.

Sanaria looks forward to the next I-PfSPZ-C meeting which will be held in Senegal in conjunction with the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria meeting 15-20 April 2018. Contact ipfspzc@sanaria.com for information about the next I-PfSPZ-C meeting.