Ranbaxy, MMV make anti-malarial breakthrough

Ranbaxy Labs and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) have taken a potential breakthrough anti-malarial drug into human clinical trial stage. Ranbaxy, MMV’s pharmaceutical partner for the development of this drug, has obtained authorisation from Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHPRA) to conduct clinical trials in the UK. This is the first regulatory step in new drug development after safety and drug activity is established in the pre-clinical phase. The drug — codenamed OZ277/RBx11160 — is currently being evaluated in a Phase I study for its safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics in humans in UK. The drug is believed to have similar mode-of-action as the currently available drug artemisinin.