GlaxoSmithKline receives CHMP recommendation for malaria vaccine Mosquirix

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that its new malaria candidate vaccine Mosquirix has received a recommendation from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).

The committee has adopted a positive scientific opinion for Mosquirix, also known as RTS,S, to be used for the prevention of malaria among children aged six weeks to 17 months in sub-Saharan Africa.

Developed in partnership with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, it is the first malaria candidate vaccine to reach this milestone. The product has been specifically designed to prevent malaria caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite.

The World Health Organization will now formulate a policy recommendation on how the vaccine will be used in national immunisation programmes once approved by national regulatory authorities.

Sir Andrew Witty, chief executive officer of GlaxoSmithKline, said: "The work doesn't stop here, and GlaxoSmithKline remains committed to investing in research and development for malaria vaccines and treatments to find more ways to tackle this devastating disease."

The company is also currently developing a new vaccine for shingles, which demonstrated its efficacy in phase III trial data reported earlier this year.