(UTV|COLOMBO) – A drug to treat malaria – the first such pill to get approval in 60 years – has been given the green light by authorities in the United States.
The medicine is specifically for the recurring form of malaria, which makes 8.5 million people ill each year.
This type of malaria is a particular challenge to get rid of as it can remain dormant in the liver for years before reawakening many times.
Scientists have described tafenoquine as a “phenomenal achievement.”
Regulators around the world will now look at the drug to see if they can recommend it for their populations.
