New weapons against malaria

The antihistamine astemizole has been shown to be effective in destroying the malaria parasite Plasmodium. What's more, the drug is no longer under patent and can therefore be manufactured cheaply.

Meanwhile, a team of researchers appear to have found the component of human body odour which attracts or repels mosquitoes. Reuters reports that they are currently working on a formulation that they can market.

Here we have two new and exciting prophylactics against malaria, an often-overlooked disease that kills up to 1 million people each year. It's a pity that the cheaper option is likely to be the drug rather than the repellant - it'll only be a matter of time before we start seeing resistance to the new medication.