Irish scientist wins international award for developing malaria vaccine

Ellen O'Donoghue

An Irish scientist has won an international award for helping to develop a malaria vaccine.

Dublin-born scientist Adrian Hill was awarded the European Inventor Award in the research category from the European Patent Office in Berlin on Thursday.

Hill and his team developed a vaccine that presents more of the malaria-specific protein regions needed to trigger a strong immune response, with around 75-80 per cent protection in clinical trials, exceeding the World Health Organisation's (WHO) target for malaria vaccines.

Hill studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin before completing a DPhil in human genetics at Oxford. He also helped develop the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

According to WHO, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2024, with children under five accounting for around 75 per cent of malaria deaths in the WHO Africa region.

Traditional malaria vaccines achieved only modest protection, particularly in young children.

Hill and his team developed a vaccine that presents more of the malaria-specific protein regions needed to trigger a strong immune response.

"I am delighted to accept this prestigious award on behalf of the many hundreds of people who have contributed to the discovery, development and licensure of our malaria vaccine over the past 12 years," Hill said.

Scientists have been attempting to develop a malaria vaccine for more than a century, but more than 150 vaccine candidates entered human trials before two finally succeeded.

Hill's team redesigned the vaccine structure to include more of the key malaria protein segments recognised by the immune system, while removing components that could divert the immune response.

The vaccine can be produced at large scale, costs less than €3 per dose and remains stable for up to two years under standard refrigeration conditions, helping make vaccination programmes more accessible in regions where malaria remains endemic.

Hill's long-term commitment to malaria research was shaped by his 1988 experience in The Gambia, where he witnessed the impact of the disease on young children.

Over the following three decades, his team at Oxford's Jenner Institute investigated multiple vaccine candidates before developing R21/Matrix-M, the official name of the vaccine.

Ghana became the first country to approve the vaccine in 2023, followed by Nigeria.

Later that year, the WHO formally recommended R21/Matrix-M for widespread use.

Malaria vaccination is now being integrated into routine immunisation programmes in more than 20 African countries, providing a new tool to reduce malaria-related illness and deaths.