*AMANET announces progress of the Phase II Clinical Trial of Candidate
Malaria Vaccine GMZ2 to mark world malaria day***
The African Malaria Network Trust (AMANET) and the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) funded GMZ2 consortium undertaking clinical development of GMZ2 Malaria vaccine candidate, announce progress of the Phase II b trial in children aged 12 to 60 months. The consortium contains 4 work packages namely project management, clinical trials, capacity building and networking. As part of the clinical trials work package, the consortium partners are undertaking a multi centre phase II randomized controlled clinical trial of malaria vaccine candidate, GMZ2, which is a recombinant fusion protein of two *Plasmodium falciparum*proteins, glutamate rich protein and merozoite surface protein 3. The trial is ongoing at the Medical Research Unit (MRU) of the Albert Schweitzer Hospital (ASH) in Lambaréné, Gabon where around 463 children have already received their first dose and vaccination are foreseen to be completed in June. Three reports, by a data and safety monitoring board have shown that the trial and control vaccines were safe.
The initiation meeting of the GMZ2 trial took place at Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP) in Burkina Faso on 9thand 11 th March, 2011, and was attended by the principal investigators from 4 other African countries (Uganda, The Gambia, Gabon and Ghana). Also attending this event were consortium members from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine - EUKT, Tübingen University – Germany and Statens Serum Institut - Denmark. Around 460 children will be recruited in Banfora and in Saponé additional participants will be recruited if required. At the CNRFP, first vaccination will be given on 2nd May, 2011. Other participating centers namely Makerere University, Uganda and Navrongo Health Research Centre, Ghana will start vaccinations in the second quarter of 2011.
The partners in the GMZ2 vaccine consortium are AMANET, the Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP), Burkina Faso; Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Denmark; the Medical Research Unit at Albert Schweitzer Hospital (MRU-ASH), Gabon; the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratories, The Gambia; University of Tübingen, Germany; Makerere University, Uganda; Navrongo Health Research Centre, Ghana; and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), UK.
Phase I studies of GMZ2 have received support from the European Commission – AIDCO, EDCTP and the European Malaria Vaccine Initiative (EMVI) now called European Vaccine Initaitive (EVI). The phase II GMZ2 trials are funded by EDCTP with additional funds from member states [Denmark & Germany].
This trial is registered with PACTR [ATMR2010060002033537], a public registration system for Malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS research in Africa.
For further information on GMZ2 Consortium activities, kindly contact AMANET through the following;
Dr Dawit A. Ejigu,
GMZ2 Coordinator,
mailto:daejigu@amanet-trust.org
Dr Brenda Okech,
GMZ2 Project Manager,
www.amanet-trust.org/GMZ2
mailto:baokech@amanet-trust.org