Anti-Parasite Drug Discovery Nobel Prize

Campbell and ÅŒmura found a new way to fight infections caused by roundworm parasites while Tu discovered a therapy against malaria

19:42 07 October 2015

Prof Youyou Tu has won a Nobel Prize for discovering a therapy against malaria. She tested an extract from Artemisia annua plant on malaria parasites. The graduate of the Pharmacy Department of Beijing Medical University named the therapy artemisinin, which was highly effective in killing the parasites. It is now widely used around the world with other malaria medicines and saves more than 100,000 lives every year.

 

Tu, who is the 13th woman to win the Nobel Prize, shares the award with two men who found a treatment for roundworm: Satoshi ÅŒmura, a Japanese microbiologist and Irish-born William C Campbell, an expert in parasite biology working in the US.

 

The Nobel committee said: "The two discoveries have provided humankind with powerful new means to combat these debilitating diseases that affect hundreds of millions of people annually.

 

"The consequences in terms of improved human health and reduced suffering are immeasurable.''

Omura told Japanese broadcaster NHK: "I have learned so much from microorganisms and I have depended on them, so I would much rather give the prize to microorganisms.

 

"This is kind of a low-profile research area, but microorganisms are extremely important for humans. They can be our partners. I hope the area gets more attention because of the prize so that it can further contribute to human beings."