AstraZeneca Opens Drug Library To Malaria Researchers

28th Jun 2010 14:54

LONDON (Dow Jones)--U.K. drug maker AstraZeneca PLC (AZN.LN) said Monday it is giving researchers access to 500,000 compounds in its library in a drive to find new drugs for malaria. AstraZeneca said it entered an alliance with Medicines for Malaria Venture, a not-for-profit foundation set up to develop new antimalarial drugs. Under the terms of the deal, scientists in Australia will screen AstraZeneca's library of compounds for any sign they might work against the malaria parasite. Promising candidates will be pushed through laboratory tests to identify those that may be suitable for human trials, AstraZeneca said. -By Jason Douglas, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-20-7842-9272; [email protected] (END) Dow Jones Newswires June 28, 2010 09:54 ET (13:54 GMT)