Angola Capital Investments Supports Development Of Hepatitis B And Malaria Vaccines

NEW YORK, April 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Angola Capital Investments (ACI), a leading international investment firm headquartered in Angola, announced a donation to Bluoshen specifically to aid in the development of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and malaria vaccines. Funded by ACI affiliate Bluoshen, researchers at the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) at the University of Navarra have studied infectious diseases, including HBV and malaria, prevalent in Angola.

More than 350 million individuals worldwide are infected with HBV and in Angola 20% of the young male population is infected. In the West African sub-Saharan area, one-fifth of those infected with HBV are also co-infected with the hepatitis D virus (HDV). HBV management is challenging because the current treatment is associated with considerable levels of toxicity. The CIMA research team developed safe and potent approaches to significantly enhance cell immune response in chronic viral infections and neoplastic conditions.

"HBV and malaria are global health problems that can be prevented," said Zandre Campos, chairman and CEO of ACI. "We are investing in the development of these vaccines because healthcare is a top priority for me and my firm."

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 3.2 billion people are at risk of contracting malaria. In 2015, sub-Sahara Africa was home to 88% of malaria cases and 90% of malaria deaths. The WHO recommends vector control as the main form of prevention. "While vector control is important, it is not enough. We want to protect people from being infected by mosquitos and that is why it is so important to develop a vaccine," added Campos.

Dr. Gloria Gonzalez-Aseguinolaza from CIMA and a team of researchers in New York have worked on the development of a malaria vaccine. They identified a specific gene and protein that when used in a vaccination fight malaria during the liver-stage infection. Malaria develops in two places, the liver or the red blood cells. The findings can be found in the publication: Hafalla JC, Bauza K, J Friesen, Gonzalez-Aseguinolaza G, AV Hill, Matuschewski K. Identification of targets of CD8⁺ T cell responses to malaria liver stages by genome-wide profiling PLoS Pathog epitope.  2013 May; 9 (5): e1003303.

About Angola Capital Investments
Angola Capital Investments (ACI) is an international investment firm that invests in companies in the healthcare, energy, transportation, hospitality, and real estate sectors throughout Africa. The mission of ACI is to create global value for developing countries in Africa, while contributing to their economic development.

About Zandre Campos
Zandre de Campos Finda is one of the great, innovative business leaders and global entrepreneurs emerging out of Africa. Currently, he is chairman and CEO of Angola Capital Investments (ACI), an international investment firm headquartered in Angola with holdings throughout Africa and Europe. Prior to founding ACI, Mr. Campos was CEO of Nazaki Oil & Gaz S.A.  He has held the positions of CEO of the mobile phone company Movicel Telecommunications and an executive in the office of the president of SONAIR, Air Service S.A., a subsidiary of Sonangol, Angola's state-owned oil company that oversees oil and gas production.  He began his career as a legal advisor with Sonangol Holdings.

Mr. Campos also sits on the board of Oshen Group S.A. Sphera Bluoshen S.A. is a subsidiary of Oshen Group. Sphera is committed to bringing high-quality healthcare services to nations around the globe with current activities in Angola, Morocco, and Rwanda. Sphera is dedicated to healthcare equality and accessibility. He is also a board member in Boost - Communication & Strategy, S.A. Mr. Campos graduated from Lusiada University, Lisbon, with a degree in Law.

Mr. Campos has dedicated his career to helping advance Angola and other developing nations. His work makes him one of the most socially forward and conscientious business leaders of our time. Through his entrepreneurial spirit and diverse business portfolio that is ever-expanding, Mr. Campos is creating thousands of new job opportunities and building stronger communities.

SOURCE Angola Capital Investments