National and international experts analysed in “Malaria day workshop†key in the fight against malaria.
Reduce mortality and morbidity and interrupting the transmission of malaria, double aim of current research.
-The eradication of malaria depends largely on the development of new drugs to treat it, as well as new tools to break the cycle of the causative parasite of this disease.
-To get a new generation of drugs we need to make progress in the research of malaria, which can only be achieved with the collaboration between private companies and public entities.
to right: doctors TIM WELLS, Director of Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV); NICK CAMMACK, Director of the Campus for the development of drugs for diseases in countries in development (DDW) and PEDRO ALONSO, Director of the Centre for research in international health from Barcelona (CRESIB). Malaria Workshop
On Friday presented the latest advances in malaria research directed at the control and eradication of this disease in the “Malaria Day Workshop”, organized by the Campus for the development of drugs for diseases in countries in development of GlaxoSmithKline (DDW – GSK) and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV).
This meeting has become apparent that the intensification of research efforts is allowing progress in malaria control. The increased use of the tools available to control the vector of malaria (mosquito of the Anopheles species), such as mosquito nets and insecticides, already is translating in a reduction in the number of deaths from malaria, which coupled with the availability and implementation of a future and upcoming vaccine, are essential for progress in controlling this disease. However, to achieve the ultimate goal, i.e., passing control to the eradication of malaria, we depend on to a large extent the discovery of new drugs to treat it and break the cycle of infection in such a way that will gradually reduce the number of malaria cases until you reach zero, explained Dr. Tim Wells, director of MMV.
This “Malaria Day” has brought together basic and clinical researchers from Spain and Portugal, who have shared information about the mechanisms of action of the new drugs in development and advances occurring in the knowledge of the pathogen (Plasmodium species parasite). Likewise, it has been argued on the research strategy which must continue, given the enormous complexity of the cycle of the malaria parasite, and critical aspects on which have to move forward in the knowledge of the biology of the parasite, immunology, epidemiology, biological vectors and interactions with the human host. Difficult understanding of certain mechanisms currently constitutes an important impediment to the development of tools for the control, and ultimately, the eradication of malaria.
Dr. Pedro Alonso, director of the Center for research in international health from Barcelona (CRESIB, Hospital Clinic-Universitat de Barcelona), has emphasized during the plenary Conference, research plays a key role in the fight against malaria, both for its prevention and control, diagnosis and treatment. The objective of research in malaria has control of the disease as a first step, reducing morbidity and mortality, but the ultimate goal is to achieve the eradication or interruption of transmission. So far the research has focused on human malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, but Dr. Alonso says that it is essential to develop research into another large parasite causing human malaria, Plasmodium vivax.
The malaria parasite is a very complex organism, and the emergence of resistance to drugs antimalarial drug commonly used for the treatment of this disease lies also in its complexity. The lack of efficacy of available treatments makes essential the development of innovative therapeutic alternatives which are very effective and advance scientific knowledge to prevent the occurrence of resistance in the future.
In this regard, Dr. Nick Cammack, director of GSK DDW, explains that the primary objective of DDW is find effective compounds of easy administration by mouth, well tolerated, rapid action and appropriate treatments for few days. This new generation of antimalarial drugs, to be directed to the very broad sector of the world’s most economically depressed population, must be especially affordable and put them within reach of these populations are those most in need. DDW commitment is to maintain a continuous flow of projects in r & d leading to drugs to be usable by the public health agency to control in the first instance and then eradicate this disease.
Public-private partnership
Dr. Tim Wells, director of the MMV, explained that “to achieve this new generation of treatments need new discoveries that can only be achieved with collaboration between the public academic field and the pharmaceutical industry.” Both actors are essential to achieve the proposed objectives. Access to the patient and the basic science are in hospitals and universities, respectively and the science, technology and knowledge that transform these ideas into new drugs are pharmaceutical companies. “So we are proud to have been working with GSK here, in three Cantos, during eight years in the development of a collection of new research projects that will come from new drugs which will contribute to the eradication of malaria”.
For its part, Prof. Virgilio do Rosario, of the Institute of hygiene and Tropical Medicine of the Nova University of Lisbon and co-organiser of the Iberian platform of Malaria, stands out as an intensified efforts to control this devastating disease, but that progress years ago do not always apply today and that malaria can be reemergiendo in countries where already considered eradicated.
Thus, Prof. do Rosario draws attention to the great work being done by scientists and researchers (only in Spain and Portugal there are 34 research groups which collaborate with each other) and on new technologies that are being implemented to improve the knowledge of the relationship between the pathogen and the host.
Likewise, explains Prof. do Rosario there are certain aspects of difficult research by the complexity of the cycle of the parasite and that differences in levels of prevalence and incidence of disease among the different regions of the world, involves approaches and different strategies which will further complicate the work.
In this line, Prof. do Rosario insists that there are other important factors to achieve the desired success as well as the research: have good health infrastructure, trained personnel and the commitment of Governments and affected communities. Given this scenario, most likely in the coming years to increase the interaction between science and society.
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is committed to searching for solutions to alleviate the effects of malaria. In this regard, in addition to working on the development of a vaccine, it has a Campus for the development of drugs for diseases in developing countries (DDW) in Tres Cantos (Madrid) in which work in the discovery of new drugs for diseases that disproportionately affect the economically weaker populations. The research model which GSK remains in the center of Tres Cantos is based on collaboration with public and private, national and international institutions, among which are the Medicines for Malaria Venture and the Centro de investigación en Barcelona international health (CRESIB, Hospital ClÃnic-Universitat de Barcelona).
You medicines for Malaria Venture
You medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) is a non-profit created in 1999 and dedicated to the discovery, development and provision of safe, effective and affordable antimalarials through a series of partnerships between the public and private sectors.
MMV aims to heal and protect the millions of people exposed to malaria through effective and affordable medicines and future, to eradicate this terrible disease.
Currently, MMV manages the largest portfolio of research projects and development of ever assembled antimalarial drugs, nearly 60 projects in 44 countries, in collaboration with more than 130 partners from the pharmaceutical industry, academia and the malaria-endemic countries.
