Malaria is one of our foremost world health problems today, no doubt about it's global-economic impact. However, CAVEAT EMPTOR here folks: no biopharma company has ever, or will ever, make a profit from a tropical disease drug or vaccine. Think about it. A final product vaccine would have to be distributed world-wide, reaching all equitorial and sub-equitorial populations. These same populations reside in countries that are desperately poor and cannot afford expensive drugs and the infrastructure to distribute them. Therefore, the biopharmas who persue tropical disease cures know going in that they will have to dramatically cut the price of their product and write it off as a philanthropic donation for tax benefit. I wholeheartedly believe this is what they in fact should do to help put an end to world suffering. But, as an investor, this is a dead-end deal. If you are looking for small-/micro-cap biopharma potential, look for companies entering clinical trials with an: #1 Alzheimer's drug, #2 Obesity drug, #3 Cancer drug, etc. Afflictions affecting developed countries are the ONLY products you as an investor should consider putting your money in to.
D. Weston Ph.D. Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases