The University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India have joined hands to develop R78C, a next-generation malaria vaccine. The candidate targets Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite species responsible for the most severe and deadly form of malaria. The two institutions earlier collaborated on the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, and the new partnership builds on that experience. Serum Institute of India, based in Pune, is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, so the tie-up could help produce an affordable vaccine at scale for countries burdened by malaria.