First Indian anti-malarial passes clinical trials

A new anti-malaria drug has completed clinical trials in India and could be seen on the mass market in the future.

Drug maker Ranbaxy has been developing the new anti-malarial since 2003 and is the first malaria drug developed in India.

The Economic Times of India reports that the company has yet to decide on a name for the drug, which it originally worked on with the Medicines for Malaria Venture until 2007.

Ranbaxy expects to market the drug in three to five years and has identified the Asian, African and South American markets to export to.

Pradip Bhatnagar, senior vice-president for new drug discovery research for Ranbaxy, told the newspaper: "The proof-of-phasing for phase two of the trials have been successfully undertaken and the drug will now undergo phase three of trials before being introduced in the market."

Ugandan news website the New Vision reports that residents in Kapchorwa are set to receive over 32,000 treated mosquito nets to prevent the spread of malaria in the region.