Today is Africa Malaria Day, a day set aside to contemplate the ravages that this disease continues to wreak on those living in Africa. Each day, an estimated 3,000 Africans die from the mosquito-borne illness, and 300-500 million clinical cases occur yearly. The disease is particularly deadly to infants and pregnant women. Malaria is also blamed for lowering GNP growth by as much as 1.3% per year.

Africa Malaria Day began seven years ago as a way of reaffirming the commitment African governments made in the Abuja Declaration of 2000 to halve the number of cases by 2010. While organizations such as the Medicines for Malaria Venture focus on drug development, better distribution of simple tools such as insecticide-impregnated sleeping nets and insecticide sprays could cut the incidence of the disease by 45%. However, to date only 10% of those who could use such nets do so, due to lack of supply and education.

In 2005, President Bush created his Malaria Initiative to attack this problem, allocating $1.2 billion over five years. In 2004, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave $42.6 million for the development of a semi-synthetic form of the anti-malarial drug artemisinin.

To honor the occasion, the U.S. government has also declared today Malaria Awareness Day. Through the vigorous use of DDT, the disease was all but eradicated from our country by the early 1950s. Before then, though, it was a deadly threat here too.

No doubt by now you have heard the good news regarding Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and the shield it has in place for Celebrex. You can get some more insight on that by reading Douglas McIntyre's post.

Now the time is ripe for Pfizer to do something powerful. If it can accomplish one or two block buster product releases before mid-year, it'll be off to the races once again. In pursuit of that goal, Pfizer has a large stable of potential ground shakers in development. Here's an encapsulated view of what Pfizer has going right now in R&D:

I counted 49 formulations that Pfizer has in PHASE I of development. Of those compounds, ten are intended cancer treatments, eight are for inflammation and / or pain, including arthritis, 11 are directed towards cardiology, metabolic and endocrine conditions. Pfizer also has six compounds in PHASE I that are indicated for infectious diseases. Phase one drug testing focuses on compound safety rather than drug effectiveness.

With $51.4 billion in revenues, Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) ranks #101 on 2006 Fortune's Global 500 list. Pfizer remains the world's largest drugmaker, ahead of its competitors Johnson & Johnson #104 with $50.5 billion in revenues; GlaxoSmithKline #143 with $39.4 billion in revenues; Sanofi-Aventis #159 with $35.4 billion in revenues; and Novartis Group #177 with $32.2 billion in revenues.

Also this week, Pfizer bought worldwide exclusive rights to human gene RTP-801 from Quark Biotech Inc., an Israeli biotech firm. Quark Biotech had recently acquired the license to this gene from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. Details of Pfizer's deal with Quark Biotech were not made public but could be very lucrative if Pfizer can actually develop a treatment to modify mutations in gene RTP-801, the gene that controls for most cases of blindness in the developed world due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). With an aging baby boomer population, age-related vision problems will increase exponentially. Currently about 15 million Americans age 50+ are affected with AMD. In AMD fluid accummulates behind the retina, eventually resulting in vision loss. There is presently no cure for AMD, but Pfizer currently owns the drug Macugen used to retard the effects of AMD. Pfizer will share with Quark ,and via Quark Alnylam, royalties on any products that actually make it to market to treat and/or cure AMD.

Pfizer is also involved in the eradication of another widespread disease, malaria. Pfizer has joined former President Clinton's Global Initiative to stamp out the leading cause of child mortality in Africa. With a donation of $15 million spread over 5 years, Pfizer is underwriting malaria treatment programs by UNICEF and WHO in Senegal, Ghana and Kenya. Pfizer's recent donation is a continuation of its malaria research program already underway in 10 countries around the world. In addition to anti-malarial drugs, Pfizer is also funding education programs for malaria patients and caregivers.