From June 1st to 4th, 2025, Professor Halidou Tinto from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique / Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (CNRST/IRSS) visited the Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune, India.

The visit marked an important step in the ongoing collaboration between IMVACS project partners and SII.

The Serum Institute of India is the sponsor of an ancillary study within the IMVACS project framework.
This study is designed to compare the safety, reactogenicity, and humoral immunogenicity of the 10-dose (multidose) formulation of R-21/Matrix-M with 2-Phenoxyethanol preservative vs the safety, reactogenicity, and humoral immunogenicity of the 2-dose formulation of R21/Matrix-M vaccine.

The study is being conducted in the Dioïla Health District of Mali, involving the first 50 children in both the intervention and control arms of the IMVACS trial (100 children in total).
The Principal Investigator for this ancillary study is Professor Kassoum Kayentao from the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB).

This important ancillary study will evaluate the feasibility and potential advantages of using the multidose formulation for booster dose administration within the IMVACS project.
The results will also inform future large-scale deployment strategies for the R21/Matrix-M vaccine in malaria-endemic settings.