Treatment and Prevention of Malaria - GSK

For many years, chloroquine had been the treatment of choice for malaria, although resistance of the malaria-causing parasites to this medicine has made it largely useless today. There is a range of other drugs available for treatment as well as prevention of malaria and their use is decided by the level of resistance in the country where they are to be used. Despite this, access to medicines and the cost of treatment remains a barrier for people living in malaria-affected regions. Prevention of malaria in endemic areas is focused on the use of preventative medicines for pregnant women and, increasingly, young children. Other methods include mosquito control using insecticides and larvicides and the prevention of bites by the use of mosquito nets impregnated with insecticide. Developing new medicines through partnership GlaxoSmithKline’s commitment to tackling diseases of the developing world involves a range of partnerships with other committed organisations. GSK has several projects underway at its laboratories in Tres Cantos, Spain, with the aim of developing products that treat resistant strains of the malaria parasite. The Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) is a non-profit organisation created to discover, develop and deliver new and affordable treatments for malaria. GSK supports the MMV with research efforts aimed at identifying new medicines at Tres Cantos.

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Contributor: Anuradha Bhattacharjee
Published Date: April 28, 2008