UltiMalVax – Progressing towards a next-generation multi-species malaria vaccine.

European Vaccine Initiative
2 days ago
2 min read

UltiMalVax project partners and members of its scientific and ethics advisory committee (SEAC) met in Oxford on the 15th and 16th of May 2025 to discuss progress in developing a vaccine that will prevent P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria and reduce transmission of both parasites.

May 26, 2025

The UltiMalVax consortium is developing a next-generation malaria vaccine that addresses key limitations of current WHO-prequalified vaccines—RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M™. Building upon the groundwork established by the R21 program, this new vaccine will target both P. falciparum and P. vivax. While P. falciparum accounts for most malaria-related deaths, P. vivax is more widespread and can cause recurring illness due to its dormant liver stages. Importantly, the vaccine aims to include a transmission-blocking component, which would help prevent the spread of malaria in endemic areas. Such a vaccine holds the potential not only to protect individuals but also to contribute to malaria elimination goals through herd immunity

This month, 25 consortium members and scientific advisors met in Oxford to discuss project progress. The meeting included a thorough review of the project results to identify promising P. falciparum and P. vivax virus-like particle (VLP) and mRNA-based immunogens, as well as adjuvant components. The partners also reviewed the project timelines.

Special thanks to our partners and SEAC members for the very productive discussion.

The project is supported by funding from the European Commission, the UK (UKRI) and Swiss (SERI) governments.

*UltiMalVax consortium members and scientific advisors during the 2025 annual meeting in Oxford.*

The project is supported by funding from the European Commission, the UK (UKRI) and Swiss (SERI) governments.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. This project has received funding from the European Union under grant agreement No. 101080928.