Scientist awarded 1 mln yuan for discovery of malaria drug
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Xinhua, November 15, 2011
A prize of one million yuan (157,500 U.S. dollars) on Tuesday was awarded to 81-year-old pharmacologist Tu Youyou and her team for their discovery of what has become a standard treatment for malaria.
Tu, a scientist with the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, was presented with the "outstanding contribution" award at a meeting held by the academy for her contribution to the discovery of Qinghaosu, which has become a standard regimen for malaria.
During an interview on the sidelines of the meeting, the scientist described the discovery as "an honor that would help traditional Chinese medicine go global."
Tu also gave credit to her research team, saying the discovery of Qinghaosu could not have been accomplished without the help of her colleagues.
In early 1969, Tu was appointed the head of a government project that aimed to eradicate malaria, and it was then that she began combining modern techniques with Chinese traditional medicine to find an effective drug therapy for malaria.
After detecting 380 extracts made from 2,000 candidate recipes, Tu and her colleagues obtained a pure substance called Qinghaosu, which became known as artemisinin in 1972.
An artemisinin-based drug combination is now the standard regimen for treating malaria, and the World Health Organization lists artemisinin and related agents in its catalog of essential medicines, said a statement from the foundation.
The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation in September named Tu the recipient of the Lasker Award, a respected medical prize in the United States.
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