One-dose drug could 'revolutionise' malaria treatment

Scientists plan to investigate new kinds of drugs to treat malaria as part of a five-year $600 million (£341 million) strategy.

Although the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) has not yet raised all the cash, it has laid out what it would do with the money.

That is to examine medicines from the Ozonide family, SciDevNet reported.

Ozonide is synthetic and copied the artemisinin used at the moment, according to MMV vice president for public affairs Anna Wang.

Researching new drugs would be vital for the future treatment of malaria as it develops resistance to medications.

"There are signs that a one-dose cure [using Ozonide] may be possible - this would make a huge impact on the treatment of malaria," she said.

Part of the Global Malaria Action plan also includes greater clinical studies of children and pregnant woman.

More than one million people die of malaria every year, according to the World Health Organization, including one child every 30 seconds.

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