Nairobi — Rwanda has launched Africa’s first clinical trial of a long-acting injectable drug for malaria prevention, marking a potential shift in how the disease is prevented as drug resistance and climate change threaten progress against the mosquito-borne illness.
The Phase 1b trial, launched by Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) in partnership with Rwandan health research organisation Rinda Ubuzima, will assess the safety and tolerability of MMV371, an experimental drug designed to provide extended protection against malaria through a single injection.
The injectable could potentially protect recipients for an entire malaria season, reducing the need for frequent preventive medication if its safety and effectiveness are established.
The trial marks the first Phase 1 study of a malaria-prevention long-acting injectable to be conducted in Africa and will involve adults and adolescents in Rwanda.
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Researchers will assess how the drug is absorbed and processed by the body, alongside exploring its potential effectiveness in preventing malaria infections.
The development comes as malaria continues to impose a significant health burden on the continent, despite decades of investment in prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Data from the World Health Organization shows that malaria caused more than 280 million cases and over 600,000 deaths globally in 2024, with Africa accounting for approximately 95 per cent of the fatalities.
The emergence of antimalarial drug resistance, changing disease patterns associated with climate-related extreme weather events and weaknesses in health systems have heightened the urgency for new prevention approaches.
MMV said the injectable could complement existing interventions, including mosquito control, malaria vaccines and preventive medicines, if subsequent trials establish that it is safe and effective.
“To eliminate malaria, we will need not only wider access to today’s tools but also the next generation of prevention technologies,” said MMV Chief Executive Officer Dr Martin Fitchet.
“Long-acting injectables have the potential to redefine how malaria prevention is delivered, providing sustained protection from a single administration and expanding the options available to communities at risk.”
The Rwandan study builds on earlier clinical research conducted in the United Kingdom, where MMV371 was found to be well tolerated in healthy adults and demonstrated the potential to provide protection for approximately three months.
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The latest phase will establish whether similar safety and tolerability findings can be observed among participants in a malaria-endemic African setting.
Beyond the potential medical breakthrough, the trial highlights the growing role of African research institutions in the development and testing of new health technologies.
Rinda Ubuzima Executive Director Marie Michele Umulisa said conducting the research in Rwanda would strengthen local scientific capacity while ensuring African institutions contribute directly to developing interventions for communities affected by malaria.
“Conducting this study in Rwanda demonstrates that partnerships such as this are essential to ensuring that African researchers and institutions are active contributors to the development of solutions for the communities and countries that need them most,” she said.
The partnership also reflects a broader effort to move more early-stage clinical research into malaria-endemic countries, allowing African researchers and communities to contribute to the development of medicines intended for their populations.
MMV, a not-for-profit organisation established in 1999, works with industry, governments and academic institutions to develop and deliver medicines for malaria prevention, treatment and elimination.
While the injectable remains experimental and will require further clinical evaluation before it can be considered for wider use, researchers say it could eventually expand the options available to populations at risk of malaria.