A weekly tour of the periodic table, from Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
http://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts
Fexinidazole
The World Health Organisation hope to eradicate human African trypanosomiasis, better known as sleeping sickness, within our lifetimes. Jamie Durrani looks at a drug that may make it possible.
DMT – Dimethyltryptamine
Georgia Mills investigates the psychoactive found in ayahuasca that may mirror near-death experiences
Chlorine dioxide
Katrina Krämer investigates how industrial-strength bleach became promoted as 'miracle mineral supplement' – a supposed 'cure' for autism, cancer and even Covid-19.
Interferon beta
An immune-modulating compound used to reduce the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and now showing potential against coronaviruses, interferon beta is the last of the WHO's Covid-19 Solidarity trial candidates to get the Chemistry in its element treatment.
Ritonavir
The unexplained appearance and dramatic spread of a new form of HIV drug ritonavir hurt patients and cost its makers almost $250 million. Alexander Whiteside on the chemical phenomenon that links Irving Langmuir, H G Wells and Kurt Vonnegut.
Lopinavir
Ben Valsler explains how a drug that prevents HIV from donning its protective 'coat' now makes up one arm of the World Health Organisation's Covid-19 trial
Remdesivir
Will new clinical trials for Covid-19 give remdesivir a second chance?Ben Valsler introduces the broad-spectrum antiviral that didn't quite make it as the Ebola drug it was originally planned to be.
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine
Old drugs sometimes find their way back into the news. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic and some very high profile backing, malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are making headlines worldwide. Ben Valsler explores both the history and the hype.