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A Bright Future for Malaira Treatments

Malaria is the most important and the most widespread of the transmissible diseases. It threatens almost one third of Humanity, affects around 600 million people and is responsible, each year, for more than 2 million deaths.

Caused by microscopic parasites, Plasmodia, this disease is transmitted by the bite of certain mosquitoes, the Anopheles.

Its symptoms include bouts of a special type of fever, as well as an increase in the volume of the spleen and various other disorders. But malaria may involve complications such as cerebral attacks causing a fatal coma, especially among young children living in malaria-endemic areas or among expatriates and tourists.

Earlier this month, Scientists announced the discovering of a genetic "camouflage" with which the malaria parasite hides itself from the immune system of the host. The findings could lead to the development of new drugs for a disease that causes more than 300 million acute illnesses and at least one million deaths each year, most of them in developing countries. The malaria parasite camouflages itself by using 60 different protein-masking systems. As soon as the immune system learns to recognise one protein and starts making antibodies against it, the bug switches to another form of the protein. [more]

Team leader Professor Alan Cowman told ABC News, "If you could work out a way of causing the parasite to switch all the var genes on, then the body would see all the variations of var genes, and the immune system would be able to control the infection."

The advancements are good news for those in Africa and Asia where Malaria is the number one killer.

On the wake of these findings, the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis announced its plans to launch an inexpensive and easy-to-use malaria drug that could help reduce the number of deaths caused by the disease, especially in Africa.

The French drug maker said it intends to sell the drug on a no-profit basis and won’t seek patent protection for it. These steps could encourage manufacturers to produce copycat versions of the drug and make the drug more easily available in poorer countries. The new antimalarial is being developed by Sanofi and its partner, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, a nonprofit umbrella group whose members include several health-related organizations. It will be launched next year. – Wallstreet Journal, HT: Antioch Road

One of the notable aspects of this second story is that it is a private initiative that is not, to my knowledge, directed, enforced, or financed by the government. This is not socialized health care. Rather, it is the constructive and charitable work of an independent relief organziation and for-profit company that will benefit those at risk for the disease. I'm guessing that it will also work wonders for SA's public reputation and expand and solidify the company's international network of doctors and distributors.

Posted by tim at April 10, 2005 1:04 AM

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