I know. It’s rather bad form to equate the tragedy of malaria with the tragedy of psoriasis. But there really is good news on the malaria front. Only there’s a minor problem.
First the good news. Scientists have found a way to synthethize artemisinic acid, a precursor to artemisinin, “the most effective therapy for the world’s second-most deadly infectious disease.” The problem is that the process uses genetically modified yeast or bacteria. And we all know how dangerous that can be.
It’s estimated that the new method will reduce the cost of a dose of the malaria drug by 90 percent from about $2 to about 25 cents.
The report in the London Times on this breakthrough by Mark Henderson indicates that the new method should be ready in about ten years. It was funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
We could also help in the meantime and save lives by allowing the use of DDT.
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