Two Advances On The Malaria Front

Pfizer and the Italian pharmaceutical company Sigma-Tau Industrie Farmaceutiche Riunite will market the antimalaria drug Eurartesim in Africa. Now in Phase III clinical studies, the therapy is a fixed-dose combination of dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine that was developed jointly by the nonprofit Medicines for Malaria Venture and Sigma-Tau. Separately, GlaxoSmithKline's RTS, S/AS vaccine continues to show promise in Phase II clinical trials by protecting a significant proportion of infants and young children against malaria. The results support the launch of a Phase III trial by GSK and the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative early next year. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has invested nearly $108 million to support development. GSK has spent about $300 million to date and expects to invest up to $100 million more.