Latest Buzz: New, Better Mosquito Repellent in the Works

For the past 50 years, DEET has been the safest and most effective repellent available to fend off mosquitoes and minimize exposure to some of the diseases that they spread. A team of American chemists, however, have developed an alternative that lasts three times longer and might prove to be just as safe. Read more

$2,000 For Exposure to Malaria

Seattle volunteers will be paid an estimated $2,000 or more to hold a paper cup containing mosquitoes infected with malaria against their arm, waiting for the insects to bite to test the effectiveness of new malaria vaccines. Read more

Indian Malaria Drug Approved In Ghana

Med Headlines - According to the Central Drug Research Institute of India, Food and Drug Board of Ghana has approved a new drug to treat complicated Malaria that affects the functioning of the brain.

Malaria is among the oldest recorded diseases in the world. Also, it is one among the most destructive human infections causing 300 to 400 million clinical cases and taking the toll to about 3 million deaths per year.

The drug named, Alpha-Beta Arteether or the E-mal injection has proved to be very efficient in treating the disease in India. The Institute found that the clinical trials of the drug for malaria have shown 93% and 100% of treatment success rates against uncomplicated malaria, while it was 91% and 100% for the complicated cases. Also, the findings disclose that about 4% and 8.5% of complicated malaria cases cause the death of the infected patient. The institute urged a need of early treatment and additional clinical trials for the prevention of these casualties.

The drug has been developed in 1999 by Themis Medicare based in India. The drug is useful for the treatment of recurring and drug-resistant malaria cases. The drug Alpha-Beta Arteether and Emal injection was made using conventional Chinese medicines. The latest drug provides effective cure against Malaria if taken for three days.

The Emal injection has been advised to the patients living in Kenya, Cambodia, Zambia, and Nigeria and few other countries in Africa and Asia. As told by Gopal Vasu, the director of M&G in Ghana the drug is likely to cost 70,000 cedis, equaling approximately $8, for a single dose.