Infectious Disease Blog

Two malaria drugs produced by GlaxoSmithKline are being scrapped because they may lead to anemia.

While yanking these drugs from the market is a setback in the fight malaria, there are numerous drugs out there that treat the disease, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Health officials hope to promote price competition and give doctors more treatment options.

The two drugs pulled were Lapdap and Dacart, an experimental pill still in development.

Both of the drugs appear to lower hemoglobin levels in the blood of some patients, which can lead to anemia.

As About.com’s Infectious Disease blogger Anna Spector pointed out:

Malaria itself causes anemia, but Dacart causes anemia in those who have a hereditary enzyme disorder that estimated to affect 10-25 percent of all Africans.