Researcher wins 'America's Nobel'

NEW YORK - A Chinese scientist received a prestigious US award over the weekend for the discovery of artemisinin, a drug therapy for malaria that has saved millions of lives across the globe, especially in the developing world.

Pharmacologist Tu Youyou, 81, became the first scientist on the Chinese mainland to win the Lasker Award, known as "America's Nobel" for its knack of gaining future recognition from the Nobel committee.

Tu, a scientist at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing, pioneered a new approach to malaria treatment that has benefited hundreds of millions of people and promises to benefit many times more.