A pharmaceutical group ProtoPharma are presently discussing with the government of Sierra Leone to test a new way of administering anti malarial drugs to children.
ProtoPharma Director Calvin Ross explained that they “are developing a new method of delivery of anti malarial drugs” for delivery to children.
He stated that “obviously in Africa over a million children die every year from malaria” and that has made Africa “the first port of call” for their trials.
Ross who said they were invited by Africa Minerals said “this is a country which has a large proportion of children who are infected by malaria and also the type of development we are working on is obviously for Africa.”
Children Ross said “have a great difficulty sometimes especially when they are comatose of swallowing tablets” noting that “one of the side effects of anti-malarials is vomiting.”
He explained that they “take the spray and spray it under the tongue – and that is the drug delivered, rather than swallowing tablets.”
He stated that with the drug in the spray “is rapidly absorbed into the tissues and circulated all over the body so we have a greater viability of the spray over the tablet.”
He disclosed that they took four years to develop the spray and they have conducted “two clinical trials” in Malaysia and South Africa.
Although they have not yet concluded discussions with the government yet they hope to do their first trials on Children in Sierra Leone and this will involve some 75 children.
By Kelvin Lewis