Loading Curie Briefs...
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Brazil is developing two homegrown vaccine candidates targeting P. vivax, the malaria strain responsible for 80% of the country's cases — a strain completely missed by existing WHO-approved vaccines. One candidate, UniMav, uses a novel CD8+ T-cell approach, while Vivaxin targets the parasite's surface protein before it reaches the liver. Both are edging closer to human trials.
Brazil is on a mission to develop the world's first effective vaccine against Plasmodium vivax malaria — and it has two promising candidates in the pipeline. The WHO-approved vaccines RTS,S and R21 only target P. falciparum, which dominates in Africa but accounts for just a fraction of Brazil's malaria burden. In Brazil, P. vivax is responsible for 80% of cases, making a tailored vaccine a national health priority.
The first candidate, UniMav, takes a groundbreaking approach: it leverages CD8+ T cells to recognize and destroy P. vivax-infected reticulocytes. Using immunopeptidomics, researchers identified 453 parasite-derived peptides from 166 proteins, with 75 conserved antigens shared across multiple Plasmodium species — potentially offering cross-species protection. Researchers plan to submit a clinical dossier to Brazil's health regulator Anvisa in 2027, with first human dosing roughly 18 months after approval. The second candidate, Vivaxin, combines all three known P. vivax circumsporozoite protein alleles to block the parasite before it reaches the liver, with a 48-person Phase I trial planned.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: With no existing vaccine targeting P. vivax and the looming threat of an invasive mosquito species (Anopheles stephensi) potentially expanding malaria into Brazil's urban centers, these homegrown vaccine efforts could be a game-changer — not just for Brazil, but for the millions of people globally at risk of P. vivax infection.
