UCT may have found cure for Malaria

**Dirk** · 2012/08/28, 03:05 PM

http://www.ewn.co.za/en/2012/08/28/U...-Malaria-cure#

UCT may have found cure for Malaria

The University of Cape Town's science department believes it has found a single dose cure for Malaria.

CAPE TOWN - The University of Cape Town (UCT)'s Science department on Tuesday announced it has found a single dose cure for Malaria.
Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor was also present when the announcement was made.

Researchers have been hard at work for several years and now believe they have discovered a drug which may annihilate a mosquito’s parasitic life cycle.

Clinical trials are set to take place at the end of 2013.
The potent drug has been tested on animals and has shown that a single oral dose has completely cured those infected with malaria parasites.

This means that millions of people can potentially get cured.

At least 24 percent of child deaths in sub-Saharan Africa are due to malaria and globally, one million people die each year from the disease.

(Edited by Lindiwe Mlandu)

**jfe** · 2012/08/28, 03:14 PM

WOW! En dis nie April nie so ek hoop van harte dis waar, soveel lewens wat gespaar / gered kan word as dit werklikheid is, wonderlik.
EN nou gaan Mosambiek oorloop van toeriste hahaha.........

**Engel** · 2012/08/28, 03:39 PM

I am currently working in a area where about 1 person gets malaria a day. Thats 30% of the people on the camp site

**Henris** · 2012/08/28, 03:46 PM

This will seriously open the world for tourism.

Now I wonder who UCT will sell the formula to....

**Elders** · 2012/08/28, 03:52 PM

so what will Holgate do now .....

HENRIS - the question is actually who sponsored this research - the formula might well belong to a specific company already ..... Research is BIG business !!!

**OFFROAD ADDICT** · 2012/08/28, 03:52 PM

if it is what is claimed, I think its about time we start making and manufacturing the stuff here in SA.
We do have the facilities to make it.
ORA

**Nox** · 2012/08/28, 03:54 PM

yeah, a breakthrough indeed.

**Henris** · 2012/08/28, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by ChrisF

so what will Holgate do now .............

That was my next question.

But then again. They will easily fit 2 million tablets in a Defender.

I still would like to know how they fit all those mozzie nets into a Defender?

**O.B.** · 2012/08/28, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by Henris

That was my next question.

But then again. They will easily fit 2 million tablets in a Defender.

I still would like to know how they fit all those mozzie nets into a Defender?

Good thing he switched to Disco4. Otherwise all the tablets would fall out trough the panel gaps

Pharmaceutical companies spend billions on R&D. It is only something as ridiculously low as 1 out of every 1000-10000 attempts that is a safe successful drug that could be sold. In the mean time you have the generic that can be sold. A bit like a pirate copy, but legal.

I hope the company that owns the molecule will make several billion out of it. Typically a company like that will invest a substantial margin of the profit into creating new or improving drugs.

Proud of the Capetonians that got it right. Hope human trial is successful

**ChrisLab** · 2012/08/28, 04:18 PM

PLEASE DON'T CRUCIFY ME for what I am going to say now BUT with the world heading very fast to overpopulation HOW are we going to cope with an extra million people per year and in the mean time medical science is advancing at a phenomenal rate.
Just thinking aloud

Chris.

**duncang** · 2012/08/28, 04:38 PM

Sadly yes, what's needed is birth control in a bottle !

**JediNAfrica** · 2012/08/28, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by ChrisLab

PLEASE DON'T CRUCIFY ME for what I am going to say now BUT with the world heading very fast to overpopulation HOW are we going to cope with an extra million people per year and in the mean time medical science is advancing at a phenomenal rate.
Just thinking aloud

Chris.

don't worry about the population ChrisLab, war and crime and hatred will continue to take it's toll on population levels.

and ChrisF a good chance Bill Gates funded the research. he has a chariety that funds malaria research world wide. eliminating malaria is his big passion for last few years.

**Gaitshi Gubib** · 2012/08/28, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by ChrisLab

PLEASE DON'T CRUCIFY ME for what I am going to say now BUT with the world heading very fast to overpopulation HOW are we going to cope with an extra million people per year and in the mean time medical science is advancing at a phenomenal rate.
Just thinking aloud

Chris.

+1

**Stan Weakley** · 2012/08/28, 05:00 PM

I have tried searching the net for any further information on this to no avail. If it proves successful in human trials it will be massive.

From the report it appears that they hope to have discovered a single dose treatment for patients infected with the malaria parasite. Trials on humans will only start next year and then it will take 2 or 3 years minimum before its safety in humans can be assessed.

The ultimate goal of all malaria research is to find an effective vaccination for the parasite. Only then would we have won the fight against the highest cause of mortality in the developing world.

The impact of the new treatment will have a huge positive financial benefit for the malaria areas. Imagine the impact on tourism alone. I see no negatives in this research.

**MikeAG** · 2012/08/28, 05:09 PM

Well said, Stan.

Don't run away with the idea that this is a miracle cure UNTIL the results of the human trials are in, side effects have been assessed etc. And don't expect to see it in the shops within 5 years........

Mike

**Apocalypse** · 2012/08/28, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by JediNAfrica

don't worry about the population ChrisLab, war and crime and hatred will continue to take it's toll on population levels.

and ChrisF a good chance Bill Gates funded the research. he has a chariety that funds malaria research world wide. eliminating malaria is his big passion for last few years.

war/crime/hatred does not even make the population growth curb slow down , never mind dip.

I have to agree with Chris - as wonderful as this cure is, irresponsible use will just see more starving children, and a bigger population problem than we already have...

**Elders** · 2012/08/28, 05:32 PM

two edged sword ... over population surely is one aspect, but I have had friends near death due to malaria ......

**MikeAG** · 2012/08/28, 05:48 PM

Keeping a few million people alive makes not a single jot of difference to the population. To affect the population you have to alter the birth-rate, not the death rate. There is universal acknowledgement of this, and warehouses full of science to back it up. If you want fewer people on the planet you have to reduce poverty, and educate and empower women.

Let's not derail a great-news thread with population control issues....

**ChrisLab** · 2012/08/28, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by ChrisF

two edged sword ... over population surely is one aspect, but I have had friends near death due to malaria ......

I have nothing against the advancement of the medical sciences ( the population is already growing older ) but someone must teach the masses in Africa THAT IT IS SIMPLY NOT ON to have 12 children

Already there is famine in Africa and the production of food can't be kept up

We have got to stop and think about this ( but this has been suggested hundreds of times already )
We simply have to STOP and admit this.

Chris.

**Gaitshi Gubib** · 2012/08/28, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by ChrisLab

I have nothing against the advancement of the medical sciences ( the population is already growing older ) but someone must teach the masses in Africa THAT IT IS SIMPLY NOT ON to have 12 children

Already there is famine in Africa and the production of food can't be kept up

We have got to stop and think about this ( but this has been suggested hundreds of times already )
We simply have to STOP and admit this.

Chris.

... teach the masses in Africa THAT IT IS SIMPLY NOT ON to have 12 children

Now Chris, for that I have little hope, yes, I'm being pessimistic, but with reason I think.

(anders gestel, ek dink jou hoop is 'n mishoop)

MikeAG mentions three points:

1. alter the birth-rate
2. reduce poverty
3. educate and empower women.

I can agree, but success so far, has been to say the least, very limited, except for #3 perhaps, to some extent.