UK scientists create cheaper malaria drug

SCIENTISTS at the University of Liverpool and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have produced a new anti-malarial drug.

As part of the 1.5 million project, researchers are now testing the drug to determine how the treatment could progress to clinical trials. The drug is made from simple organic molecules and will be cheaper to mass produce compared to existing therapies.

Malaria is the world's most deadly parasitic infection, resulting in nearly a million deaths a year. The team in Liverpool has created a synthetic drug based on the chemical structure of artemisinin, an extract of a Chinese herb commonly used in malaria treatment.

The new drug, which can be taken orally, is more potent than naturally derived artemisinin. The research is funded by the European Commission.