Monoclonal Antibodies for Malaria Prevention

Monoclonal antibodies are a relatively new tool in the fight against malaria, hoped to offer prolonged protection against disease. We take a look at the results of a new clinical trial investigating L9LS, a next-generation antibody for malaria. Transcript Monoclonal antibodies are a relatively new tool in the fight against malaria. Scientists recently put a next-generation antibody called L9LS to the test in a small, Phase 1 clinical trial. 17 American malaria-naive adults were injected intravenously at either 1, 5, or 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight or subcutaneously at 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. They were then infected with malaria by mosquito bite. All participants in the control group got malaria. Only 2 out of the 17 participants protected by the monoclonal antibody, L9LS, got malaria. This small-scale study shows that L9LS is safe and effective in a controlled setting and mediates protection at low doses by subcutaneous route; larger field studies are needed to answer dosage and practical questions. Source Low-Dose Subcutaneous or Intravenous Monoclonal Antibody to Prevent Malaria About The Podcast The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute podcast is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.