Proof-of-concept study of mefloquine nanoformulation for ultra-long-term malaria prophylaxis

The approval of ultra-long-acting intramuscular injection of the depot type with the antivirals cabotegravir and rilpivirine for HIV/AIDS prophylaxis has stimulated proof-of-concept studies of drug-carrying nanoparticles for the development of prophylactic therapies in infectious diseases. Prophylactic therapies have been and continue to be used in malaria, and in recent years have received special demand, as there is a vaccine candidate in clinical study in malaria using the attenuated sporozoite strategy (PfSPz-Vac) which has the potential for use not only pediatric (as is the case with the Mosquirix vaccine) but for the entire adult population, with a smaller number of boosters and a higher and longer-lasting protection rate than that provided by Mosquirix. However, this vaccination strategy requires chemoprophylaxis with the use of an antiparasitic medication to prevent attenuated sporozoites from proliferating in the patient. To increase therapeutic safety, patient adherence and the expansion of this vaccine project, the ideal is for the active ingredient to be long-lasting and formulated in a “drug delivery” system aimed at asexual parasites and with gradual release. With the execution of the project, this will deepen knowledge of the molecular bases of drug release systems in prophylactic intervention and their translation into a modern and national biotechnological product for use in malaria vaccine intervention and other prophylaxis studies.

Project details

Drug-based Strategies
Product Development

Jan 2023

Brazil