FDA works to create safe malaria vaccines

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it is entering into a collaboration to create better safety and efficacy tests for experimental malaria vaccines.

FDA officials said they are joining with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative that is designed to develop laboratory tests to better predict the level of safety and effectiveness of such vaccines before they are used in human clinical trials.

"This collaboration with the PATH-MVI supports the overall mission of the FDA and specifically the agency's work under our Critical Path Initiative," said Dr. Jesse Goodman, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "We are actively seeking ways to help organizations such as PATH develop safe and effective products that can benefit the public health both in the United States and globally."

PATH is an international, non-profit organization that creates sustainable and culturally relevant solutions to improve global health and well-being, officials said.

The collaborative project is expected to span about three years and provide the FDA with about $1.5 million to develop tests for evaluating malaria vaccines early in their development. There are currently no approved vaccines to prevent malaria, but several are in development.