SA to develop new malaria drug

The Medical Research Council has developed a drug to treat malaria using extracts from an indigenous plant and is now seeking a partner to commercialise the drug. MRC director of indigenous knowledge systems Gilbert Matsabisa told Business Report that tests had shown promising results, indicating that the drug could eradicate the malaria infection from the bloodstream. The MRC stumbled upon the plant's use as a treatment for malaria through what it calls pure serendipity. It is traditionally used as a remedy for stomach ailments. Matsabisa says the plant from the sunflower family is indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa.