Malaria "open source" R&D to counter pharma "neglect"

Scientists studying compounds to counter malaria are posting their research on a publicly-available open source web site, being called a "wiki." The aim is to overcome what the organizers call "neglect" by drug companies, despite notable investments for products such as UK-based giant GlaxoSmithKline's malaria vaccine candidate Mosquirix (RTS,S/AS02A; Marketletters passim) and French drug major Sanofi-Aventis' ASAQ, a new fixed-dose combination of artesunate and amodiaquine (Marketletter March 12).

The main advantages for researchers are that duplication of failed avenues for study can be avoided and collaboration with several people working in different timezones is made easier. Among the disadvantages, there are doubts as to whether research published on a wiki could qualify for publication in a scientific journal, although this may spell trouble for the future of journals.

More serious for the long-term viability of open source projects is whether potential investors will believe that a financial return can be made on public-domain, and therefore non-patentable, research. The wiki can be found at http://usefulchem.wikispaces.com.