GSK and MMV launch partnership to fight malaria

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMC) have announced a new collaboration to identify novel drugs for the treatment of malaria.

The research partnership will focus on macrolide antibiotics – a promising antimalaral compound based on azithromycin.

Dr Patrick Vallance, senior vice-president of GSK Drug Discovery, welcomed the agreement and highlighted that the move was part of the company’s commitment to fighting diseases with the biggest impact in the developing world.

“We recognise that innovative alliances are an important part of meeting the challenge of treating people affected by malaria, which is why we have been actively collaborating with MMV since 2000,” he outlined.

Under the agreement, GSK will receive funding from the MMV to carry out research on macrolide antibiotics which will aim to address resistance and side effects associated with existing antimalarial medication.

MMV’s chief scientific officer Dr Timothy Wells illustrated that existing antimalarial treatments now face the threat of resistance.

He indicated that the collaboration with GSK will help meet MMV’s objective of developing antimalarials that “retain their usefulness for longer”.

GSK and Amira Pharmaceuticals confirmed a collaboration agreement this week that will see the two companies develop, manufacture and commercialise FLAP (5- Lipoxygenase Activating Protein) inhibitors for the treatment of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.