Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Washington received a $824,264 Project Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855), awarded June 8, 2026, with a completion date of May 31, 2031. This award supports the development and preclinical evaluation of PBVIVAC, a novel transgenic live attenuated sporozoite vaccine for Plasmodium vivax malaria. The vaccine utilizes genetically engineered Plasmodium berghei parasites that express the P. vivax circumsporozoite antigen, combining the benefits of subunit and attenuated sporozoite vaccine approaches while overcoming production barriers associated with traditional P. vivax vaccine development.

The funded research activities focus on conducting further macaque studies to ready first-generation intravenous PBVIVAC for clinical translation. Key research objectives include demonstrating the vaccine's capacity to block hypnozoites (dormant parasitic forms), confer durable protective immunity, provide strain-transcending immunity across P. vivax variants, and protect both pre-exposed and infant subjects. Building on preliminary findings showing potent immunogenicity and protection against primary P. cynomolgi infection in vaccinated macaques, this grant supports continued preclinical development necessary to advance the candidate vaccine toward human clinical trials for a disease affecting millions globally.