This research leading to the development of this particular drug candidate has been carried out in by various industrial and academic groups. Interdisciplinary collaboration has had financial backing and the partnership with the nonprofit organization, Medicines for Malaria Venture.
Current status of drug resistant malaria
Drug resistant strains of malaria have become a major problem in controlling the spread of the disease. Widespread resistance in vivo has been reported against almost all antimalarial drugs, this is due to the selective pressure for survial applied to populations of the disease. Recently, even artemisinin resistance has been reported in a growing number of countries in South-East Asia. The inherent pervasion of drug resistance in malaria may, in the future, affect the control of infection unless appropriate strategies are implemented to intervene.
Investigating the evolutionary history and genetic variation of P. falciparum has been a recent approach for understanding the evolution of drug resistance, identifying potential vaccine candidates and appreciating the effect of parasite variation on prevalence and severity of malaria in humans.
Drug Development
With the product pipeline of a commercially available drug taking roughly 10 years and approximately 1 billion dollars to get to market, the advent of an effective malaria cure could be available in the near future; granted upcoming trials for this new drug can be proven to be safe and efficacious.
Current status of drug resistant malaria
Drug resistant strains of malaria have become a major problem in controlling the spread of the disease. Widespread resistance in vivo has been reported against almost all antimalarial drugs, this is due to the selective pressure for survial applied to populations of the disease. Recently, even artemisinin resistance has been reported in a growing number of countries in South-East Asia. The inherent pervasion of drug resistance in malaria may, in the future, affect the control of infection unless appropriate strategies are implemented to intervene.
Investigating the evolutionary history and genetic variation of P. falciparum has been a recent approach for understanding the evolution of drug resistance, identifying potential vaccine candidates and appreciating the effect of parasite variation on prevalence and severity of malaria in humans.
Drug Development
With the product pipeline of a commercially available drug taking roughly 10 years and approximately 1 billion dollars to get to market, the advent of an effective malaria cure could be available in the near future; granted upcoming trials for this new drug can be proven to be safe and efficacious.
.World Malaria Report, 2010; World Health Organization:Geneva, 2011
Volkman, Sarah K;(2006). A genome-wide map of diversity in Plasmodium
falciparum.; Nature genetics; NAT
GENET.
Volkman, Sarah K;(2006). A genome-wide map of diversity in Plasmodium
falciparum.; Nature genetics; NAT
GENET.