Health · 2026-11-02 · Afternoon briefing

Rwanda hosts trial for three-month malaria injection

A trial for the first long-acting malaria injection is launching in Rwanda this week, testing a new approach to a disease that caused 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths in 2024. The compound, MMV371, was developed by the non-profit Medicines for Malaria Venture and provides protection for approximately three months. The Rwandan trial, led by local research group Rinda Ubuzima, will assess its efficacy and how the compound is processed by the body.

If successful, the injectable could protect a much broader population than the two existing malaria vaccines, RTS,S and R21, which are limited to very young children and require a four-dose schedule. Researchers hope MMV371 can be used by older children, adults, and pregnant women, a group particularly vulnerable to the disease. The developers see it as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for existing measures.

The approach mirrors the success of long-acting injectables in other fields; a similar treatment for HIV, Lenacapavir, now offers near-total protection. While the current malaria compound may require two injections for longer rainy seasons, its developers are already working on a second-generation version intended to provide year-long coverage from a single dose.

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• First ever trial of long-acting injection against malaria to launch in Africa

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