CHRONICLES OF MEDICAL HISTORY: ARTEMISININ: THE JOURNEY FROM NATURAL PRODUCT TO NOBEL PRIZE

Authors

O.S. Michael

Correspondents

Dr. O.S. Michael
Dept. of Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences
College of Medicine
University of Ibadan
micobaro@yahoo.com

Affiliation of Authors

Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan

SUMMARY

The 2014 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine was announced on 5th October. One-half was awarded jointly to William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ômura “for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites” and the other half to Youyou Tu “for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria.” The novel therapy that was given this huge recognition was artemisinin, a drug (isolated from the plant Artemisia annua) that has saved millions of lives and rekindled the dream of a world where malaria has been eradicated. This is a brief review of this important landmark in the chemotherapy of malaria; a victory for purified and refined herbal medicines.

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