From Colonial Research Spirit to Global Commitment: Bayer and African Sleeping Sickness in the Mirror of History

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease

Ulrike Schroeder¹  Ulrich-Dietmar Madeja¹ 

[1] Bayer AG Pharmaceuticals, Müllerstrasse 178, 10785 Berlin, Germany;

关键词: african sleeping sickness;    development of treatment;    suramin;    medical history;    political history;   

DOI  :  10.3390/tropicalmed5010042

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

In the early 20th century, a series of epidemics across equatorial Africa brought African sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis, HAT) to the attention of the European colonial administrations. This disease presented an exciting challenge for microbiologists across Europe to study the disease, discover the pathogen and search for an effective treatment. In 1923, the first “remedy for tropical diseases”—Suramin—manufactured by Bayer AG came onto the market under the brand name “Germanin.” The development and life cycle of this product—which today is still the medicine of choice for Trypanosoma brucei (T.b), hodesiense infections—reflect medical progress as well as the successes and failures in fighting the disease in the context of historic political changes over the last 100 years.

【 授权许可】

Unknown