BioNTech wants to 'eradicate' malaria with mRNA vaccine

After developing a coronavirus vaccine in record time, the German pharmaceutical company aims to start trialing a malaria shot next year using the same breakthrough mRNA technology.

BioNTech wants "to help eradicate malaria" by using the same breakthrough mRNA technology it used to develop its coronavirus vaccine, the pharmaceutical company said on Monday.

If successful, the shot could be a major development in the fight against malaria, which kills more than 400,000 people a year — mainly young children in Africa. The disease is caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans.

"We will do whatever it takes to develop a safe and effective mRNA-based malaria vaccine that will prevent the disease, reduce mortality and ensure a sustainable solution for the African continent and other regions affected by this disease," BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin said in a statement.

The project is backed by the World Health Organization, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the European Union.

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