Anti-malarial drug pulled due to side-effects

A British manufacturer has been forced to withdraw its anti-malarial drug due to its side-effects.

GlaxoSmithKline have announced that Lapdap will be taken off the market, after fears that it could cause severe anaemia in children.

A 2004 report by the World Health Organisation warned that the drug should not be given to patients who had glucose-6-phosphate dhydrogenase deficiency, a hereditary enzyme disorder.

However, it noted that at least ten per cent of Africans have the disorder.

A map, created by researchers at Oxford University, recently showed that over a third of the world's population live in an area where there is a risk of deadly malaria.

"At a time when donors and international agencies are spending more money on malaria control and re-considering the prospects of malaria elimination, it is critical to have a map of where the disease risks exist," said Professor Bob Snow, who led the team.

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