The Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD) will initiate research on malaria as part of a new public-private partnership in Singapore.

The partnership, which includes the NITD, the Wellcome Trust, the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), will all allocate resources to discover the next generation of malaria drugs.

Research at the Singapore-based NITD will focus on the development of a one-dose cure for Plasmodium falciparum, the most dangerous form of malaria, and a curative modality for Plasmodium vivax, the most frequent and widely distributed cause of malaria.

Approximately USD 20 million in funding has been granted from the Wellcome Trust, the EDB and MMV. The NITD will manage the program and conduct research jointly with several institutions, including the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) and the Swiss Tropical Institute (STI).

Malaria is estimated to annually kill more than one million people worldwide and one of the top three killer diseases in tropical countries.