Professor Adrian Hill wins European Inventor Award 2026 for highly effective malaria vaccine

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2024, with children under five accounting for about 75% of malaria deaths in the WHO African Region. Traditional malaria vaccines achieved only modest protection, particularly in young children. Professor Hill and his team developed a vaccine that presents more of the malaria-specific protein regions needed to trigger a strong immune response, helping to achieve around 75–80% protection in clinical trials.

The European Inventor Award recognises inventors whose innovations provide answers to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. The other finalists in the Research category were Portuguese researcher Paula Videira and team for a high-precision antibody that distinguishes cancer cells from healthy tissue and Finnish physicist Mikko Möttönen for an ultrasensitive cryogenic microwave sensor to improve quantum computing hardware.

Professor Adrian Hill, Lakshmi Mittal Professor of Vaccinology and Director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford University, said: 'I am delighted to accept this prestigious award on behalf of the many hundreds of people who have contributed to the discovery, development and licensure of our malaria vaccine over the past 12 years.'

Improving protection against malaria

Scientists have been attempting to develop a malaria vaccine for more than a century, yet more than 150 vaccine candidates entered human trials before two finally succeeded. Earlier vaccines, including RTS,S, typically achieved only modest efficacy in young children.

Professor Hill's team redesigned the vaccine structure to include more of the key malaria protein segments recognised by the immune system, while removing components that could divert the immune response. The vaccine forms nanoparticles approximately 25 nanometres in size, helping the immune system recognise and respond more effectively. Combined with the Matrix-M adjuvant, the vaccine generates a substantially stronger antibody response than earlier approaches.

The vaccine was also designed for practical deployment. It can be produced at large scale, costs less than EUR 3 per dose and remains stable for up to two years under standard refrigeration conditions, helping make vaccination programmes more accessible in regions where malaria remains endemic.

Building a vaccine for large-scale deployment

Professor Hill's long-term commitment to malaria research was shaped by his 1988 experience in The Gambia, where he witnessed the devastating impact of the disease on young children. Over the following three decades, his team at Oxford's Jenner Institute investigated multiple vaccine candidates before developing R21/Matrix-M.

The project brought together partners including the University of Oxford, the Serum Institute of India, Novavax and leading African research centres in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali and Tanzania. A key milestone came in 2021, when Phase 2b trial results showed up to 77% efficacy, exceeding the WHO target of 75% for malaria vaccines.

Ghana became the first country to approve the vaccine in 2023, followed by Nigeria. Later that year, the WHO formally recommended R21/Matrix-M for widespread use. Today, malaria vaccination is being integrated into routine immunisation programmes in more than 20 African countries, providing a new tool to reduce malaria-related illness and deaths.

All the winners of the 2026 edition of the European Inventor Award were announced at a ceremony in Berlin.