Now this is good news: “Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières Welcomes the Introduction of New Open-Source User-Friendly Drug Combination Against Malaria”. By combining artesunate and amodiaquine (disclaimer: i’m a techie, not a doctor), the treatment of malaria can be administered in an easy-to-take two-pills-a-day for three days cure for a grand total of approximately US$1 (one pill a day for three days for children, price approx. $0.50). The makers of the drug, Sanofi, has done two rather unorthodox moves: a) They are not patenting the drug (the ingredients they mixed are too old to patent, but the mix would be patentable), and b) The drug will be sold in two versions: branded Coarsucam and white-box, the formed being priced at about $4 and the latter, as mentioned, at about $1. The product you would be eligible to buy depended on your wealth level. Good stuff!

The New York Times reports on the introduction of the “ASAQ” drug in less hackish terms:

A new, cheap, easy-to-take pill to treat malaria is being introduced today, the first product of an innovative partnership between an international drug company and a medical charity. (…)

A treatment will cost less than $1 for adults and less than 50 cents for children. Adults with malaria will take only two pills a day for three days, and the pill will come in three smaller once-a-day sizes for infants, toddlers and youngsters. (…)

In an unusual move, Sanofi [the makers of the drug -L] has decided not to seek any patents so the pills can be freely copied by generic companies like those in India. The drugs themselves are too old to patent, but the one-pill formulation could have been.

I must admit i’m a bit skeptical about the drug, but at the same time immensely hopeful. Malaria is one of the biggest killers in the developing world (along with AIDS, lack of clean water, famine, war and all that shite) and is responsible for two million deaths a year in Africa only. It’s really good that this one can be tackled. At the same time, i must vent my humble opinion and that is that it is better to try and avoid the risk of malaria as far as possible. Use long sleeved clothing. Stay in the wind. All that. Also the articles do not mention how efficient the drug is. But it’s still a good thing.

Hats off. The future just stepped a little closer.

(via)