Bill Gates gives £7m to anti-malarial herbal research
Research into the herb Artemesia annua, or Sweet Annie has been boosted by £7m by Microsoft chairman Bill Gates. The anti-malarial drug artemisinin is derived from the herb and research into a fast-track breeding programme in on-going at the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP), part of York University's biology department. Malaria kills more people than any other disease in the world.
| The herb is also known as Sweet Wormwood, or qinghao, and was used by Chinese herbalists in ancient times to treat fever, but had fallen out of common use, to be rediscovered in 1970 when the Chinese Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergency Treatments (340 AD) was found. This pharmocopeia contained recipes for a tea from dried leaves, prescribed for fevers (not specifically malaria). In 1971, scientists demonstrated that the plant extracts had antimalarial activity in primate models, and in 1972 the active ingredient, aremisinin (formerly referred to as arteannuin ), was isolated and its chemical structure described. |
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Because of increasing resistance to cheaper drugs such as chloroquine, fifty-one countries use artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) for treating malaria. The cost of production is high, however, because the yield in Artemesia annua is low even in the best varieties, and the rapid adoption of ACTs has created a shortage, which has driven up the price of artemisinin.
CNAP aims to create new, non-GM Artemesia annua cultivars with increased yield of artemisinin to reduce the cost and secure a supply, making combination therapies cheaper and accessible for people who have malaria.
"Malaria is robbing Africa of its people and potential," Mr Gates said. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is supporting three international projects over five years.
Approved Suppliers Scheme gains new member
The RCHM's Approved Suppliers Scheme has gained a new member, bringing the total number of suppliers participating in the scheme up to ten. The scheme was launched in 2004 and is the only one of its kind in the UK.
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Tony Booker, President of the RCHM said "We are delighted that the scheme has taken off in such a positive way. Members of the RCHM using Approved Suppliers can be assured that their herbal supplies have come from a reputable source, from a company that has committed itself to a programme of quality development." |
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The MHRA (formerly MCA) have welcomed the RCHM initiative to create this list and have indicated that they are keen to work with the RCHM and its members to make sure that the scheme continues. Chinese herbal medicine has been hampered in recent years by incidences of poor practice and the Approved Suppliers Scheme is part of restoring public faith in what is an extremely effective and safe form of medicine, when practiced correctly.
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out more about what the Approved Suppliers Scheme means.
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