One-dose malaria capsule could revolutionise treatment

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research is testing a new one-dose malaria capsule to replace the 24 capsules presently required to treat the disease.

Longi Kalombo, a CSIR chemical engineer researcher, said his team’s new technology using supercritical fluid-based encapsulation bioactives would also eradicate side-effects.

“We are trying to reduce the dose frequency of the current medication.

“For malaria, people are taking almost 24 tablets over three days. The aim of the team is to reduce the 24 tablets to one capsule.

“The simplest way to do it is to make an emulsion, produce a powder with that emulsion and put it in capsules.

“Then we can go from using so many tablets to just one dosage for malaria treatment.”

Kalombo said that the one-dose treatment would also improve compliance.

“The reason we are reducing the number of tablets is, firstly, because of compliance. We need to increase the compliance because if you don’t, you end up with resistance.

“If you have resistance, it means the current medication is not going to work and you then end up in a situation where people will be dying every single day.

“We hope that when we reduce the number of tablets and frequency of taking them, we will be increasing the compliance of the drug ,which will then allow for the more effective treatment and cure of malaria.”

“Secondly, there are socioeconomic benefits. When you are sick and you don’t go to work, the economy of the country is suffering and your family is also suffering. But if you can accelerate the process of healing, it means that you may only have to take one day off work.

“Also, having only a single dosage is cheaper, which means it will also be financially beneficial for the families.”

The drug is still undergoing trials, but the team believe the product will be avialable on the market soon.

Also read: SA issues malaria alert

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