On the 20th, Sumitomo Pharma held a briefing session regarding the start of joint research on a new multi-stage malaria vaccine with Ehime University, and Eizo Takashima, professor at the Ehime University Advanced Research Institute Proteoscience Center, explained the usefulness of the “new multi-stage malaria vaccine” being developed by Panasonic and Ehime University.
In addition, Teruhisa Fukushima, senior officer in charge of vaccine business at Sumitomo Pharma, confirmed his aspirations, saying, “In order to supply vaccines to people suffering from malaria infections as soon as possible, we would like to consider collaborating with overseas countries as necessary.We aim to obtain regulatory approval in the mid-2030s.”
The development of a new multi-stage malaria vaccine will be supported by a grant from the Global Health Technology Fund (GHIT Fund).
Malaria is endemic in tropical regions, with 80 endemic countries, 280 million cases/year, and 610,000 deaths/year (World Malaria Report 2025). 95% are sub-Saharan, and 75% of cases are under 5 years old. In Japan, there are 30 imported malaria cases per year.
Although the number of deaths from malaria infections has decreased this year, the number of cases is steadily increasing due to setbacks in malaria control efforts due to the coronavirus pandemic and the spread of drug-resistant malaria and insecticide-resistant mosquitoes worldwide, making early detection, early treatment, and prevention even more important.

The trump card for preventing and eradicating malaria is a malaria vaccine, but the first-generation malaria prevention vaccines RTS,S and R21 are said to “suppress the severity of illness in 30-70% of children,” and are therefore insufficiently effective.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of malaria vaccines can be divided into three categories: 1) Infection-preventing vaccines (PfCSP), 2) Disease-preventing vaccines (PfRipr5), and 3) Transmission-preventing vaccines. ① Prevents malaria infection from mosquitoes to humans (RTS, S) ② Prevents the proliferation of erythrocytic stage malaria in human blood, reducing the number of patients and deaths. ③ Eliminates malaria-carrying mosquitoes joint research with Ehime University on a new multi-stage malaria vaccine that prevents malaria infection from humans to mosquitoes.
This time, Sumitomo Pharma and Ehime University are promoting the development of a “falciparum malaria multi-stage vaccine” that combines an infection-preventing vaccine and a disease-preventing vaccine. The new vaccine development method uses the AP205 nanoparticle platform to express antigens on single particles by examining the individual effectiveness of infection-preventing vaccines and disease-preventing vaccines, as well as the effectiveness of mixed administration in humans. Adjuvant: DSP-0546E) is added to enhance and sustain vaccine efficacy.
Mr. Fukushima said, “Sumitomo Pharma’s adjuvant technology platform is a proprietary technology discovered through research on interferons such as Sumiferon. It has also been selected as an adjuvant library by the Coalition for Prevention Innovation (CEPI). Sumitomo Pharma is currently developing this adjuvant for use in malaria vaccines (pre-clinical) and universal influenza vaccines (P1 trial).
Sumitomo Pharma and Ehime University aim to contribute to global health by realizing the “Multi-stage New Malaria Vaccine Development Project.”