Rwanda has announced a clinical trial of an experimental injection that could protect people against malaria for up to three months, with researchers in Kigali set to assess its safety and how long the medicine remains active in the body.
The study was announced on November 2 by Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and Rinda Ubuzima, a Rwandan health research organisation. It is the first Phase 1 clinical trial of a long-acting malaria-prevention injection to be conducted in Africa.
The experimental medicine, known as MMV371, is designed to remain active in the body for an extended period, potentially reducing the need for people to take preventive medication frequently.
The trial follows earlier research in the United Kingdom, where MMV371 was found to be well tolerated by healthy adults and showed the potential to provide protection for approximately three months.
However, the medicine is still in its early stages of development, and scientists have not yet confirmed whether it can reliably prevent malaria for that length of time.
The new study, known as Phase 1b, will examine the injection’s safety, possible side effects and how long it remains in the body. Researchers will also assess its potential to prevent malaria infections.
Marie Michele Umulisa, Executive Director of Rinda Ubuzima, said conducting the research in Rwanda demonstrates the importance of involving African scientists in developing solutions to health challenges affecting their communities.
“We are proud to contribute to research that could help shape the future of malaria prevention while strengthening locally led scientific innovation,” she said in the announcement.
The research comes as malaria remains a public health concern in Rwanda despite improvements in prevention and treatment.
Figures from the Rwanda Biomedical Centre show that malaria incidence declined to 72 cases per 1,000 people in the 2025/2026 financial year, compared with 76 in the previous year.
Although this represents a slight improvement, the rate remains above the 45 cases per 1,000 people recorded in 2023/2024.
Researchers believe a medicine capable of providing protection for several months could offer another way of reducing infections, particularly among people who face difficulties accessing regular healthcare.
How the trial will work
The study plans to involve approximately 80 healthy volunteers aged between 12 and 50, who will be monitored at Rinda Ubuzima’s research facility in Kigali.
Participants will be informed about the study and asked to provide consent before joining. Those younger than 18 will also require permission from their parents or legal guardians.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women will not be eligible to participate.
Under the trial arrangements, three out of every four volunteers will receive MMV371, while the remaining participants will receive a placebo, an injection that does not contain the experimental medicine.
Neither the participants nor the researchers assessing them will know who has received the experimental medicine or placebo during the blinded phase of the study.
This approach will allow scientists to compare the two groups and determine whether reported side effects or other health changes are linked to the injection.
Before receiving the experimental injection or placebo, participants will undergo a standard course of antimalarial treatment to clear any existing infection.
They will then be monitored for 24 weeks, including two overnight stays at the research facility and 15 follow-up visits.
During these visits, researchers will check for side effects, measure the amount of medicine remaining in the blood and test for malaria infections.
The findings will help determine whether MMV371 remains in the body long enough to provide meaningful protection and whether further trials involving larger populations are justified.
How the injection is expected to work
Unlike a malaria vaccine, MMV371 does not work by stimulating the body’s immune system. It is designed to release an antimalarial medicine gradually after being injected into a muscle.
Once inside the body, MMV371 is converted into atovaquone, a substance already used in the antimalarial medicine Malarone.
The main difference is how the medicine is delivered and how long it could remain effective.
While existing preventive tablets may require repeated doses, researchers hope that a long-acting injection could maintain protective drug levels for several months.
If proven effective, this could reduce how often people need to take preventive medication, although further studies will be necessary to establish its benefits.
Dr Joyce Eugénie, a physician at Gatenga Health Centre in Kigali, believes such a medicine could be particularly useful for people who struggle to reach healthcare facilities.
In a case study accompanying the research, she explained that difficulties accessing medical care sometimes lead patients to delay treatment or seek traditional remedies.
She recalled treating a 14-year-old child who arrived at a health facility with severe malaria after the family had initially sought traditional treatment.
The child subsequently developed serious health complications, an experience she cited to emphasise the importance of preventing malaria and seeking medical attention early.
For communities facing similar challenges, a long-lasting preventive injection could offer practical benefits if it is eventually proven safe, effective and accessible.
However, affordability remains another important question.
Dr Cristina Donini, MMV’s Executive Vice President for Research and Development, told The Telegraph that the medicine’s final cost has not yet been established.
She indicated that affordability would remain an important consideration as researchers continue developing the injection for communities that need malaria protection.
If successful, the medicine could complement existing prevention measures, including mosquito nets, indoor spraying, vaccines and other antimalarial medicines.
For now, MMV371 remains an experimental medicine. Further research will be necessary before health authorities can determine whether it should be approved and made available for wider use.
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