Recent news
April 2011
Institute for OneWorld Health announces milestone in malaria drug development
April 19, 2011 -- The Institute for OneWorld Health (iOWH), a member of the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC), announced that its development of an alternative source of artemisinin using synthetic biology has successfully entered the production and distribution phase. Artemisinins are a group of drugs that possess the most effective action of all current therapies against malaria, but resistance to currently available artemisinins are increasing worldwide.
The announcement marks a major milestone in the fight against malaria worldwide. The synthetic version of artemisinin is targeted to be an affordable and complementary source of the compound and will help alleviate drug shortages—key factors in meeting future demand in developing nations. “When we started work on this project, nearly six years ago, we knew that this would be a major challenge from technical, scientific, and humanitarian standpoints. Here we are today; however, ready to begin the production and distribution phase in collaboration with Sanofi, thanks to the hard work of our team, our collaborators, and our subgrantees, as well as generous support from our funders. Our goal is that one day; no child will die from malaria. Providing an alternative source of artemisinin is a breakthrough in the fight against malaria,” said Richard Chin, CEO of iOWH. See the link for further details.
