Medical researchers invents new malaria drugs

Malaria drugs keep on changing year after year as Medical research are working throughout in search of better treatment. Breakthrough  in the fight against the deadly malaria is on the horizon, with Arusha-based researchers coming up with new drugs. The African Technical Research Centre (ATRC) is behind the discovery of the new drugs --SumiShield and SumiLove --touted as the lasting solution to the malady. Working with A to Z Mills at Kisongo Matheves here, ATRC parades SumiShield as an indoor residual spray (IRS). The A to Z Chief Executive Officer, Kalpesh Shah, said here during the weekend that SumiShield drug, with a new mode of action chemistry based on the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin, is designed to help in combating insecticide resistance. He noted that benefiting from a non-repellent formulation and low mammalian toxicity, SumiShield 50WG is simple to use and has light-weight packaging for easy transportation. Resistance is one of the major issues facing the global fight against malaria, affecting 75 per cent of countries. Rotating insecticides is one of the key strategies to avoid resistance but nearly 90 per cent of affected countries fail largely due to lack of choices. The drug has non-repellent formula, meaning that resting mosquitoes could be exposed to the drug for longer than other insecticides, increasing mortality and reducing the chances of developing resistance. Field trials have also shown that SumiShield 50WG has residual efficacy of at least six months after spraying. SumiShield is said to have a low mammalian toxicity through skin contact and is practically non-toxic to bird and aquatic life. Mr Shah said the facility has played major part in war against malaria by facilitating survival of mother and baby through use of the company's manufactured resistant drugs. 

He said that through the centre, A to Z will continue supporting Tanzania and Africa in researches on various pesticides for the fight against the deadly disease. In addition to the achievements, Mr Kalpesh said that A to Z in collaboration with their Japanese partners – Sumitomo, have established another field research centre at Mabogini area, in Kilimanjaro region. He said that the station will work under ATRC Mothers Centre in Arusha, noting that he preferred having the centre at Mabogini where there are rice fields that retain water for almost the entire year, offering one of the main mosquitoes breeding areas. "Today we launch this facility almost a year since the death of former CEO and founder of A to Z, Mr Anuj Shah (RIP), the centre will work hard to find the lasting solution and ensure we have the best drugs to eradicate malaria in the country and in Africa, " said Mr Kalpesh. Launching the drugs, Japanese Ambassador to Tanzania Masaharu Yoshida said he was happy at the discovery of the new drugs, as malaria has been too perilous to Tanzanians and Africans. He said the centre, which is jointly owned by a joint venture with Japan's Sumitomo and A-Z, has been working well to help researches on pesticides that help to combat diseases and pesticides in crops. "I have been hearing the good work you do and today I have come to see myself; in five years you have worked for a lot of antibiotic treatments, including drug nets and storage bags," he said. The ambassador promised that the Japanese government would sustain support to Tanzania in various sectors, including medical researchers, to address deadly diseases. Sumitomo's Chief Executive Officer, Atsuko Hirooka also attended the event. Mosquitoes prefer stagnant water within which they lay eggs. They most commonly infest ponds, marshes, swamps and other wetland habitats. However, they are capable of thriving in a variety of locations and can successfully grow in numbers even when not in their natural habitat. Many mosquito species use water containers as egg-deposit sites.