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India's second punch on malaria
India had provided the first impetus to malaria treatment when Ronald Ross, in his laboratory in Kolkata, had discovered how the parasite spread through mosquito bites.
India had provided the first impetus to malaria treatment when Ronald Ross, in his laboratory in Kolkata, had discovered how the parasite spread through mosquito bites. India might deliver a second booster against the disease in a few years.
GlaxoSmithKline and Medicine for Malaria Ventures are keenly awaiting the results of a molecule being tested by Ranbaxy Laboratories. It can drive down prices of a new malaria drug to less than $2 per course, making it highly affordable in developing countries.
Ranbaxy Laboratories has developed a molecule named OZ 277 that is a synthetic replacement for artemisinin that is now isolated from a shrub named artemisia annua, grown in China and Vietnam.
Artemisinin is a crucial drug in treatment of multi-drug resistant falciperum malaria. GlaxoSmithkline hopes to make the synthetic alternative a building block for its new drug against this strain of drug-resistant malaria.Especially as the cost of the herb can vary from $200 to $1,000 a tonne. Simultaneously efforts are on to introduce its cultivation in many other countries, including India.
GlaxoSmithKline’s director (commercial strategy) for diseases of the developing world, Ian C. Boulton says, “We are hoping to collaborate with Ranbaxy for this product. It will be crucial in our effort to provide malaria treatment at the price-point of under $2 per course.”
While Ranbaxy’s molecule, also called RBx 11160 is in second phase clinical trial, GlaxoSmithKline is conducting phase III trials in Africa.
Boulton says that while GSK has been in talks with Ranbaxy and have a separate R&D relationship with the company, they are yet to arrive at an agreement on OZ 277.
