Tropical Disease News and Research

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Tropical diseases encompass all diseases that occur solely, or principally, in the tropics. In practice, the term is often taken to refer to infectious diseases that thrive in hot, humid conditions, such as malaria, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, Chagas disease, African trypanosomiasis, and dengue.

Is open source the answer for finding cures for tropical diseases?

Only about 1% of newly developed drugs are for tropical diseases, such as African sleeping sickness and dengue fever. While patent incentives have driven commercial pharmaceutical companies to make Western health care the envy of the world, the commercial model only works if companies can sell enough patented products to cover their R&D costs and produce profits for shareholders.

28 Dec 2004

Scientists warn of urban malaria in Africa and South East Asia

Scientists at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine are alerting the world to what they see as a new emerging tropical disease - that of urban malaria in Africa and South East Asia.

29 Nov 2004

All patients in study clear parasite that causes African sleeping sickness

Immtech International has announced that all 30 patients participating in the concluded Phase IIb extended dose regimen arm of its clinical trial of DB289 for treating African sleeping sickness cleared the parasite that causes African sleeping sickness within the treatment period, with no significant adverse results reported.

11 Nov 2004

Diseases are being neglected in wake of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria

Millions of the world's poorest people are suffering needlessly from diseases that are being neglected because of the emphasis given to the "big 3" killers, HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, says Professor David Molyneux of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

29 Jul 2004

Breakthrough discovery on Leishmaniasis, world's most deadly tropical diseases

Scientists at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, working with colleagues at the University of Dundee, have discovered how the tiny sand fly spreads one of the world's most deadly tropical diseases - Leishmaniasis.

29 Jul 2004

Study shows safe, effective therapy for previously untreated patients with HIV & hepatitis C

An international study with nearly 900 patients co-infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) has shown that HCV can be treated effectively and safely, without compromising the patient’s HIV therapy.

29 Jul 2004

Malaria mortality rate in Africa and Asia could double in a few decades as the drug used most frequently is rendered useless

Within the next five years, international organizations and world leaders should begin collectively to contribute $300 million to $500 million annually to create a global subsidy that would make new combination malaria treatments available to the world's poor for as little as 10 cents per treatment course

23 Jul 2004

Researchers discover how world’s most serous tropical diseases - Leishmaniasis is spread

Researchers at the University of Dundee with colleagues at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have discovered how the sand-fly spreads one of the world’s most serous tropical diseases - Leishmaniasis.

22 Jul 2004

U.S. team to battle malaria in Peru

In the middle of the Peruvian Amazon, a battle against malaria – the second largest killer of people worldwide – will be undertaken by an international team of researchers led by tropical disease specialist Joseph Vinetz, M.D., from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine.

11 Jun 2004

Expert to help WHO in Dili, East Timor with tropical diseases

A JCU public health expert is off to Dili, Timor Leste (formerly East Timor) to help the World Health Organisation address three serious tropical diseases: lymphatic filariasis, intestinal worms and yaws.

10 Jun 2004

UK pet owners who take their animals on holiday to Europe could bring back tropical diseases

UK pet owners who take their animals on holiday to Europe are being alerted to the fact that their pets could bring back some unwelcome souvenirs in the form of diseases more often associated with the tropics.

20 May 2004

Five million village doctors in rural China to be re-trained

A memorandum which is to lead to the re-training of five million village doctors in rural China is to be signed on 23 May in Beijing, China. The memorandum goes back to the initiative of Terence Ryan, Professor of Dermatology at the University of Oxford, who has been instrumental in drawing it up and will participate in the signing.

14 May 2004

Immtech signs agreement with CombinatoRx to test Immtech compounds as potential cancer treatment

Immtech International, Inc. announced today that it signed an agreement with CombinatoRx of Boston, Massachusetts to screen its lead aromatic cationic compounds, DB289 and DB75, for activity against various cancers.

5 May 2004

GSK and WHO collaborate to fight malaria

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the World Health Organisation's Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO-TDR) and the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) today announced the signing of a collaborative agreement, to develop a new-fixed dose artemisinin combination therapy drug (ACT), combining chlorproguanil, dapsone and artesunate (CDA) for the treatment of malaria.

23 Apr 2004