UNICEF Awards Contract to GSK for Malaria Vaccines

The United Nations Children’s Fund has awarded GSK a three-year contract worth up to $170 million to supply 18 million doses of its malaria vaccine — the UN agency’s first such deal for a malaria vaccine.

The contract “gives a clear message to malaria vaccine developers to continue their work because malaria vaccines are needed and wanted,” said Etleva Kadilli, director of the agency’s supply division.

The vaccine, RTS,S/AS01, protects against Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly malaria parasite globally and the most prevalent in Africa. It is the result of 35 years of research and development, the agency noted.