Well done GSK

[vetran]

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-44801139

A new drug to treat malaria has been given the green light by authorities in the United States.

The medicine is specifically for the recurring form of malaria - caused by the parasite plasmodium vivax - which makes 8.5 million people ill each year.

This type of malaria is a particular challenge to get rid of as it can remain dormant in the liver for years before reawakening many times.

Scientists have described tafenoquine as a "phenomenal achievement."

Regulators around the world will now look at the drug to see if they can recommend it for their populations.

[ladymuck]

I hope it'll be affordable for those that need it most. Malaria tends to affect those countries that don't exactly have a lot of cash going spare.

[darmstadt]

I shall check with my doctors as I have this although I expect they will tell me that it won't be on the market for at least another decade or so and will then be a rather hefty price

[NigelJK]

And of course for it to be available in Europe it will have to rubber stamped in Brussels first.

[darmstadt]

And of course for it to be available in Europe it will have to rubber stamped in Brussels first.

Well that could have been done in London at the EMA but...

[NigelJK]

Well at least you got the gag, but it still remains that (currently) a medicine created by a British company will have to rubber stamped by the EU for use here.

[sasguru]

Well at least you got the gag, but it still remains that (currently) a medicine created by a British company will have to rubber stamped by the EU for use here.

It won't be rubber-stamped necessarily, the approvals process (i.e. clinical trials process) that happens in the UK will have to match the EU standards.
So it will be rubber-stamped only if the MHRA agrees to follow the EMA standards, lock, stock and barrel.
Just one of the many processes where the UK will have to abide by EU regs.

[vetran]

I hope it'll be affordable for those that need it most. Malaria tends to affect those countries that don't exactly have a lot of cash going spare.

The Gates foundation funded a significant part of the development, their intention is to get it to the poor countries. I imagine that will be by rich countries subsidising it as its a one off injection not an unpleasant 2 week course.

[northernladuk]

I hope it'll be affordable for those that need it most. Malaria tends to affect those countries that don't exactly have a lot of cash going spare.

Ain't that the truth



They are going to struggle to make their money back before starting to discount it looking at that map however much Mr Gates is going to put in.

When I worked at a pharma they did lots of good work to get their stuff to poorer countries but their drugs were very popular in the western world. They can make their money back fast before the patents expired so they could afford to help with foundations and the like for the poor. This one doesn't quite look like it's going to make it's money from the western world first.

[MarillionFan]

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-44801139

It's only half the story though.