The PREV_PKDL 4th annual meeting was held online on 28 April 2022 to present and discuss project advancements and upcoming activities.
Despite several challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the procurement of supplies, the four African sites are ready for the start of the multidimensional, multiparameter phenotyping research study in patients treated for visceral leishmaniasis, to better understand the pathogenesis of the disease and the underlying immune mechanisms. The first volunteer has been recruited at KEMRI, Kenya. The flow cytometers are fully operational at the research sites and external collaborations are being established to strengthen immunology research capacity in in the East-African Region. A status update was also presented on the GMP manufacture of a new ChAd63-KH vaccine clinical lot and the planning of the phase Ib/II clinical trial in Sudan.
Members of the project Scientific and Ethics Advisory Committee joined the meeting to provide their feedback and recommendations to the consortium.
The project is led by Dr Flavia D’Alessio (European Vaccine Initiative, Germany) with partners from United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Sudan.