New artemisinin-based treatment against malaria promising
Tuesday, November 8, 2011 - 18:01
in Health & Medicine
For some time now, artemisinin, derived from a Chinese herb, has been the most powerful treatment available against malaria. To avoid the malaria parasite becoming resistant, the World Health Organisation (WHO) strongly recommends combining artemisinin with another anti-malarial drug. But there are different formulations and derivatives, in different combinations and with dosing schemes. Scientists from the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) carried out a head-to-head comparison of four combination therapies in seven African countries. One combination appeared particularly promising for regions where the risk of re-infection is high.