Tackling the parasite

TropIQ focuses on the malaria parasite, which is transmitted by mosquitoes. To this end, the company is deploying two strategies. It is developing a drug that kills malaria parasites in people's blood. And it makes mosquito-killing substances to impregnate mosquito nets. 

"We have found a substance that kills the two forms of the malaria parasite in people's blood. It works differently from all the drugs out there now," says Koen Dechering, director of TropIQ. "It also works against parasites that have become resistant to existing drugs. That resistance is a big problem in malaria." 

Testing and marketing

Dechering expects to test the new drug on humans in Europe in 2018. With positive results, the drug is expected to enter the market in 2024. Meanwhile, the company is also investigating agents to control mosquitoes that transmit Zika virus and dengue (dengue fever).