Irish developer of malaria vaccine wins European Inventor Award 2026

Sir Adrian Hill received the European Patent Office's European Inventor Award 2026 for developing the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine. The Irish project achieved roughly 80 percent protection in clinical trials, exceeding World Health Organisation targets of 75 to 80 percent. Designed for large-scale deployment in lower-income countries, the vaccine costs less than three euros per dose and remains stable under standard refrigeration conditions.