RTS,S Malaria Vaccine — GlaxoSmithKline (2021)

The RTS,S Malaria Vaccine, or Mosquirix, stands as the first WHO-recommended malaria vaccine for children in sub-Saharan Africa after 30 years of development. Its 30% efficacy is modest against a parasite that has killed billions, yet it prevents roughly 40,000 deaths annually when combined with other interventions—outperforming the typical benchmark for a first-generation vaccine against such a complex pathogen. This milestone outperforms #2 in addressing a disease that claims over 400,000 lives yearly, offering a concrete 30% reduction in severe malaria cases among vaccinated children.