African researchers believe a new one-time drug created from lab-made malaria-fighting antibodies can protect adults from the deadly disease for six months with just one IV-delivered dose.
The US-developed experimental treatment proved 88% more effective at warding off infection than a placebo in the study of 330 villagers in Mali, by breaking the life cycle of parasites before they enter the liver where they can multiply.
Estimates suggest the treatment could cost as little as $5 per child per malaria season.