Kenyans are participating in the Phase III clinical trial for the M72/AS01E tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate, with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announcing the completion of its 20,000-participant enrollment 11 months ahead of schedule. This global trial, backed by the Gates Foundation and Wellcome, aims to find a new effective vaccine for TB, a disease claiming over 18,000 Kenyan lives annually.

• The trial, estimated to cost Ksh89 billion (US$550 million), is co-funded by the Gates Foundation (Ksh64.7 billion / US$400 million) and Wellcome (Ksh24.3 billion / US$150 million).
• GSK developed the vaccine candidate, with the Gates Medical Research Institute sponsoring the trial and funding support from the Gates Foundation and Wellcome.
• The trial is being conducted across 54 sites in countries including South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and Indonesia.