First Ever Trial of Long-acting Injection against Malaria to Launch in Africa

A trial of the first ever long-acting injectable for the prevention of malaria is set to launch in Rwanda this week. If successful the compound, known as MMV371, could be a crucial weapon in the fight against the vector-borne disease, alongside mosquito control, vaccines and preventive medicines. While huge strides have been made against malaria in recent years there were 282 million cases of the disease and 610,000 deaths in 2024, the majority of which were in sub Saharan Africa. … Earlier trials in the UK showed that the long acting injectable (LAI), developed by the not-for-profit Medicines for Malaria Venture in partnership with UK drug company Quotient, provides protection for around three months. The trial in Rwanda, which is being led by Rwandan health research organisation Rinda Ubuzima, will assess the injectable’s efficacy, and look at how trial participants absorb and process the compound. (Telegraph)