Ocean Biomedical advances malaria vaccine research with new funding, pathway

Ocean Biomedical (OCEA) announced that its Scientific Co-founder, Dr. Jonathan Kurtis, MD, PhD, and his research team have received additional significant funding from the National Institutes of Health to advance their groundbreaking malaria vaccine research. In parallel, recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration Guidance on lipid-encapsulated vaccines may offer an expedited development pathway for their innovative approach. With the support of a $4.6 million non-governmental Foundation grant, Dr. Kurtis’ team is now testing three vaccine candidates in non-human primates. Building on clinical data from millions of individuals who received lipid-encapsulated mRNA vaccines, the FDA has issued new guidance that could facilitate a faster transition to first-in-human trials. Ocean Biomedical intends to leverage this opportunity, with a potential to initiate human trials as early as 4Q 2025.