Fake, poor-quality drugs boosting malaria drug resistance in Southeast Asia, U.S. experts say

"Fake or poor quality malaria drugs are boosting resistance in parts of southeast Asia, a problem that is likely to worsen unless tighter regulations are adopted, U.S. experts said Monday" at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights, Agence France-Presse reports. "'Drug resistance to the most effective drug available, artemisinin-based combination therapy, is developing and has been recognized in southeast Asia,'" Regina Rabinovich, director of infectious diseases at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said, according to the news service.

"'Resistance is being noticed on the Thai, Cambodian, Burmese borders and resistance is likely to increase,'" Roger Bate of the American Enterprise Institute said, AFP notes. "In addition to tougher regulations, researchers need to focus on developing new drugs against malaria, and consider making sure they cannot be sold or distributed as mono-therapies, the panelists urged," according to the news service (Sheridan, 12/5).