From library material, map of world where Bilharzia prevalent; an African river; examples of Bilharzia snails being examined in a Witwatersrand University laboratory; the C.I.B.A. laboratories in Basle, Switzerland; the scientists who developed the drug at work.




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Background: New Year hope is offered to some 250,000,000 people in Africa, Asia and Latin America by a new Swiss drug, Ambilhar, which goes on sale from the 15th of next month as a cure for the disease was first known in Egypt and is now common in the Great Lakes region of East and Central Africa, in South East Asia, South America and the West Indies.

Bilharzia is caused by a parasite worm which infests a type of tiny water snail, which in turn are picked up by humans when they go swimming or paddling in infected rivers. Though rarely a direct cause of death, the Bilharzia worm seriously affects the lungs, liver, brain and other organs and gravely weakens the body. Much of the most valuable research on the disease in recent times has been done at the tropical medicine section of the Witwatersrand University, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

However, the new drug combatting Bilharzia was developed by scientists at the drug firm, C.I.B.A., in Switzerland. C.I.B.A. says clinical trials had been made with more than 4,000 patients. It was shown that Ambilhar could wipe out all traces of the disease after a course of 21 tablets taken over a week -- and costing under one pound Sterling. The C.I.B.A. company is now discussing the distribution of Ambilhar with the World Health Organisation in Geneva.

The scientists at the C.I.B.A. laboratories in Basle, Switzerland, have been working on the development of Ambilhar since 1961. They include Dr. Paul Schmidt, the chemical group leader of the project, and Dr. Max Wilhelm, the chemist who synthesised Ambilhar.