SKYBLINGS ENTERTAINMENT

8 Oct 2013

UK firm seeks to market world's first malaria vaccine

British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline is seeking regulatory approval for the world's first malaria vaccine after trial data showed that it had cut the number of cases in African children. Experts say that they are optimistic about the possibility of the world's first vaccine after the trial results. Malaria, a mosquito-borne parasitic disease, kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide every year Scientists say an effective vaccine is key to attempts to eradicate it The vaccine known as RTS,S was found to have almost halved the number of malaria cases in young children in the trial and to have reduced by about 25% the number of malaria cases in infants. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is developing RTS,S with the non-profit Path Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), supported by funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation"Many millions of malaria cases fill the wards of our hospitals," said Halidou Tinto, a lead investigator on the RTS,S trial from Burkina Faso."Progress is being made with bed nets and other measures, but we need more tools to battle this terrible disease." The malaria trial was Africa's largest-ever clinical trial involving almost 15,500 children in seven countries. The findings were presented at a medical meeting in Durban, South Africa."Based on these data, GSK now intends to submit, in 2014, a regulatory application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA)," GSK said in a statement. The company has been developing the vaccine for three decades, The statement said that the hope now is that the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) may recommend the use of the RTS,S vaccine from as early as 2015 if EMA drugs regulators back its licence application Testing showed that 18 months after vaccination, children aged five to 17 months had a 46% reduction in the risk of clinical malaria compared to unvaccinated contemporaries But in infants aged six to 12 weeks at the time of vaccination, there was only a 27% reduction in risk. A spokeswoman for GSK told the AFP news agency that the company would file its application to the EMA under a process aimed at facilitating new drugs for poorer countries.

Source :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24431510

Fresh Egypt crisis : '50 dead' in clashes amid rival demonstratio

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At least 50 people have been killed and scores hurt in Egypt in clashes between police and supporters of the deposed Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. More than 200 members of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested in Cairo, where most of the deaths were reported Supporters of Mr Morsi marched in several cities, as the military-backed government marked the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Morsi supporters say he was deposed in a military coup in July.'Critical time Hundreds of people had gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square to celebrate the anniversary. Jets and Apache helicopters flew overhead in formation, as part of a grand display of military hardware by the government. The crowd cheered the flypasts, a number of people carrying portraits of defence chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Some want him to stand as Egypt's next president. But the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Cairo says supporters of Mr Mors also took to the streets in their thousands, trying to make their way to the square and calling Gen Sisi a murderer. Security forces used tear gas and fired into the air to stop them.
In the upmarket Dokki district, a number of protesters were hit by live rounds, some by birdshot. In return they threw rocks at police and soldiers, our correspondent says. The street battles raged for hours, with small fires burning and black smoke rising in several parts of the capital But the military succeeded in keeping the rival supporters apart, our correspondent says. The interior ministry earlier warned it would confront any "attempts that may disturb the 6 October celebrations", the Mena state news agency reported In a televised address, Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi described it as a"critical time" for the country and urged Egyptians to "stand together, be optimistic about the future". The health ministry said that in addition to the Cairo deaths, one person was killed in Delga, about 300km (190 miles) south of Cairo, and another n Bani Suef, 80km south of the capital There were also clashes in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya Hundreds of Islamist protesters have died in violence since the Egyptian military deposed Mr Morsi in July, 13 months after he was elected as president. He and other senior Brotherhood figures have been imprisoned and face trial The authorities are moving to seize the movement's assets after its activities were banned as part of a crackdown However, Brotherhood supporters have continued to take to the streets to protest - albeit in smaller numbers than before.

SOURCE :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24421069