A Study to Evaluate Antimalarial Activity and Safety of MK-7602 in Healthy Adults (MK-7602-003)

The purpose of this study is to assess the antimalarial activity, pharmacokinetics, and safety of MK-7602 in healthy adults following Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) infection.


Eligibility Criteria:
The main inclusion and exclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:

Inclusion Criteria:

* Is in good health
* Has a body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 32 kg/m2, inclusive
* For participant assigned male sex at birth: If capable of producing sperm, participant must agree to the following during the study treatment period and for at least 90 days after the last dose of MK-7602: Refrain from donating sperm, plus EITHER be abstinent OR must agree to use male condom plus additional contraceptive method
* For participant assigned female sex at birth: EITHER be a person of nonchildbearing potential (PONCBP) OR must use a highly effective contraceptive method or be abstinent during the intervention period and for at least 10 days after the last dose of study intervention
* Must provide confirmation of not living alone (at any stage from inoculation day until the end of the study). A participant who lives alone may be included on a case-by-case basis.
* Agrees to refrain from eating food containing poppy seeds for 48 hours prior to screening, malaria inoculation, and MK-7602 administration

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of clinically significant clinically significant endocrine, gastrointestinal (GI), cardiovascular, hematological, hepatic, immunological, renal, respiratory, genitourinary, or major neurological (including stroke and chronic seizures) abnormalities or diseases
* Is mentally or legally incapacitated or has a history of clinically significant psychiatric disorder
* History of cancer (malignancy)
* History of malaria
* History of splenectomy
* History of ever receiving a blood transfusion
* History of recurrent headache (eg, tension-type, cluster or migraine) with a frequency of ≥2 episodes per month on average and severe enough to require medical therapy, during the 5 years preceding the screening visit
* History of convulsion (including intravenous drug or vaccine-induced episodes). A medical history of a single febrile convulsion during childhood is not considered an exclusion criterion.
* Has presence of clinically significant infectious disease or fever (eg, sublingual temperature ≥38.5 degrees Celsius) within the 5 days prior to inoculation
* Has evidence of acute illness within the 4 weeks prior to screening that the Investigator deems may compromise participant safety
* Has clinically significant disease or any condition or disease that might affect drug absorption, distribution, or excretion (eg, gastrectomy, diarrhea)
* Has a medical requirement for intravenous immunoglobulin or blood transfusions
* Has had a major surgery with more than 470 mL of blood loss, lost 1 unit of blood (approximately 470 mL) or undergone blood donation of any volume to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Blood Service) or other blood blank within 4 weeks prior to the prestudy screening visit) or during the 8 weeks prior to inoculation
* Has used any corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs (excluding commonly used over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, acetylsalicylic acid, diclofenac), immunomodulators or anticoagulants within the past three months
* History of receiving immunosuppressive therapy (including systemic steroids, adrenocorticotrophic hormone, or inhaled steroids) at a dose or duration potentially associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis suppression within the past year from the screening visit
* Has had any vaccination within the last 28 days
* Has participated in another investigational study within 12 weeks (or 5 half-lives, whichever is greater) prior to the prestudy (screening) visit
* History of participation in a previous malaria challenge study or malaria vaccine study.
* Must not have had malaria exposure that is considered by the principal investigator or their delegate to be significant