• HOME
  • NEWS
    • BIOENGINEERING
    • SCIENCE NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • FORUM
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • CONTACT US
Friday, June 24, 2022
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • BIOENGINEERING
    • SCIENCE NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • FORUM
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • BIOENGINEERING
    • SCIENCE NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • FORUM
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News

Breaking good: School students make costly drug cheaply using open source approach

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
November 30, 2016
in Science News
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram
IMAGE

Credit: University of Sydney

Sydney Grammar students, under the supervision of the University of Sydney and global members of the Open Source Malaria consortium, have reproduced an essential medicine in their high school laboratories.

The drug, Daraprim, had been the subject of controversy when the price was hiked from US $13.50 to US$750 a dose last year.

Daraprim – originally used as an antimalarial after its synthesis by Nobel Prize winner Gertrude Elion – is now more widely used as an anti-parasitic treatment for toxoplasmosis, which can be a dangerous disease for pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems, such as those living with HIV or AIDS.

Daraprim is listed by the World Health Organisation as an essential medicine.

In September 2015, Turing Pharmaceuticals acquired the market rights to Daraprim and raised the price of a dose more than 5000 percent overnight. CEO at the time, Martin Shkreli, stuck by the price, despite criticism including from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

To highlight the inequity of the monopoly, high school students in Sydney have been working with the Open Source Malaria consortium to make Daraprim in the laboratory using inexpensive starting materials, as part of the Breaking good – Open Source Malaria Schools and Undergraduate Program.

Scientists anywhere in the world were able to view all the data generated and mentor the students to accelerate the science under the coordination from The University of Sydney's Dr Alice Williamson and Associate Professor Matthew Todd.

Dr Williamson from the School of Chemistry said the scientific community could provide advice and guidance to the students online in real time.

"The enthusiasm of the students and their teachers Malcolm Binns and Erin Sheridan was translated into a complete route in the public domain by the use of the Open Source Malaria platform," Dr Williamson said.

"Anyone could take part and all data and ideas are shared in real time."

Associate Professor Matthew Todd said the innovative open-source approach lowered the barrier to participation by researchers outside traditional institutions, such as universities and pharmaceutical companies, allowing students to work on real research problems of importance to human health.

"Daraprim may be quickly and simply made, bringing into question the need for such a high price for this important medicine," Associate Professor Todd said.

The findings were presented at the 2016 Royal Australian Chemical Institute Organic One Day Symposium today.

Open Source Malaria is supported by the Medicines for Malaria Venture and the Australian Government, as well as by an international network of contributors.

###

Media Contact

Vivienne Reiner
[email protected]
61-293-512-390
@SydneyUni_Media

http://www.usyd.edu.au/

############

Story Source: Materials provided by Scienmag

Share15Tweet7Share2ShareShareShare1

Related Posts

Kytai Nguyen

Nanomaterials that provide imaging while delivering medication

June 24, 2022
Novel sewage treatment

Novel sewage treatment system removes up to 70% of nitrogen that would otherwise be discarded into nature

June 24, 2022

Microscopy technique enables 3D super-resolution nanometre-scale imaging

June 24, 2022

Flexing the power of a conductive polymer

June 24, 2022
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Pacific whiting

    Oregon State University research finds evidence to suggest Pacific whiting skin has anti-aging properties that prevent wrinkles

    36 shares
    Share 14 Tweet 9
  • University of Miami Rosenstiel School selected for National ‘Reefense’ Initiative focusing on Florida and the Caribbean

    35 shares
    Share 14 Tweet 9
  • Dutch researchers teleport quantum information across rudimentary quantum network

    35 shares
    Share 14 Tweet 9
  • Saving the Mekong delta from drowning

    37 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 9

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Tags

VaccinesVirologyVehiclesViolence/CriminalsUrogenital SystemUrbanizationWeather/StormsZoology/Veterinary ScienceUniversity of WashingtonVaccineVirusWeaponry

Recent Posts

  • Nanomaterials that provide imaging while delivering medication
  • Novel sewage treatment system removes up to 70% of nitrogen that would otherwise be discarded into nature
  • Microscopy technique enables 3D super-resolution nanometre-scale imaging
  • Flexing the power of a conductive polymer
  • Contact Us

© 2019 Bioengineer.org - Biotechnology news by Science Magazine - Scienmag.

No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

© 2019 Bioengineer.org - Biotechnology news by Science Magazine - Scienmag.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Posting....