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Health: Drug development

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Here is a list of the latest articles

India develops cheap rotavirus vaccine

A cheap vaccine developed in India against rotavirus could add substantially to protection against diarrhoea.

16 May 2013 | EN

Artemesinin

WHO approves synthetic source of artemisinin

GM-produced artemisinin is deemed to be comparable in quality to the plant-derived version, but should be cheaper to produce.

13 May 2013 | EN

Laboratorio

Vaccine against Chagas disease shows effectiveness

A candidate vaccine against Chagas disease elicited high immunity in mice, and proved to be safe and simple to produce.

16 April 2013 | ES

MSF campaign poster

Indian court's Novartis ruling keeps door to cheap drugs open

After a lengthy court battle, India has rejected a major cancer drug patent bid — meaning lifesaving drugs will remain cheap and accessible.

2 April 2013 | EN

Examen médico

Clinical trials ‘are far from regional health priorities’

The majority of the clinical trials conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean are not focused on health areas of relevance to the region.

18 March 2013 | ES

Triatoma dimidiata

Study reveals economic burden of Chagas disease

Chagas disease costs countries US$7 billion a year, with Latin America paying the greatest price, a study has found.

13 March 2013 | EN | ES

Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria

Drug resistance 'is major threat to poor nations'

A rise in antibiotic-resistant infections is a huge problem for developing countries that often lack the money to tackle them, a conference hears.

27 February 2013 | EN

A selection of pills

Lack of access to technology 'hampers detection of substandard drugs'

Global drug markets are awash with low quality medicine, partly because of inadequate testing in poor countries, says a US report.

19 February 2013 | EN | ES | FR

A TB vaccine

Leading TB vaccine candidate fails to protect babies

The first new tuberculosis vaccine in almost a century did not increase protection against TB compared with existing vaccine, shows trial.

5 February 2013 | EN

New handle on drug-resistant leishmaniasis

The Leishmania parasite uses a sugary secretion to outwit the human immune system and resist antimony drugs, say researchers.

1 February 2013 | EN

Camels

Trials needed to test camel-urine cancer drug claims

Saudi researchers say they have discovered a cancer-curing compound in camel urine, but further trials are needed to test the claims.

1 February 2013 | EN | FR

Traditional healer, Africa

Study assesses use of plants in antimalarial therapies

Extracts from plants are used widely to treat malaria in Benin, and their conservation should be promoted, says a study.

29 January 2013 | EN

Anopheles Gambiae mosquito

Scientists in Benin unveil enhanced malaria test

A new test that detects and identifies malaria parasites in mosquito vectors has a 98 per cent accuracy rate, say Benin researchers.

21 January 2013 | EN

Leishmaniasis paitent

Global collaboration needed to fight neglected diseases

Developed and developing nations must pool funding and expertise to deliver new drugs against neglected tropical diseases, urge health organisations.

21 January 2013 | EN | ES

trypanosoma

Anti-sleeping sickness drives may also need to target animals

Efforts to eliminate sleeping sickness from humans without tackling the disease's animal hosts may only end in fresh outbreaks.

17 January 2013 | EN

New rotavirus strains may hit India's vaccination plans

Strains of rotavirus earlier found only in animals are now infecting human beings.

28 December 2012 | EN

Nanowires

Zimbabwe backs nanotechnology as route to new drugs

The government of Zimbabwe has earmarked substantial funding to kick-start a nanotechnology programme focused on TB and HIV/AIDS.

11 December 2012 | EN

A second Japanese encephalitis strain is circulating in India

A second strain of the Japanese encephalitis virus prevalent in East and South-East Asia is now being reported from India.

11 December 2012 | EN

Tuberculosis patient

R&D funding for neglected diseases 'failing'

The stagnating funding for neglected disease research is raising concerns over the development of new diagnostics, vaccines and drugs.

3 December 2012 | EN | ES

Drug factory, Ethiopia

Mixed results for big pharma work on drug access, R&D

The world's largest drug firms have increased spending on drug access in developing countries, but face questions over clinical trial ethics.

30 November 2012 | EN | ES