Artemisinin News and Research

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Artemisinin is a drug used to treat multi-drug resistant strains of falciparum malaria. The compound (a sesquiterpene lactone) is isolated from the plant Artemisia annua. Not all plants of this species contain artemisinin.

Dengue fever circulating in urban areas of West Africa

Misdiagnosis of febrile illnesses as malaria is a continuing problem in Africa. A new study shows that in Ghana, dengue fever is circulating in urban areas and going undiagnosed. The authors of the study hope to use the findings to launch a widespread initiative to better understand acute undifferentiated febrile illnesses in West Africa.

3 Mar 2015

Study unveils genetic architecture that enables parasite to develop antimalarial drug resistance

The largest genome-wide association study to date of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum unveils a complex genetic architecture that enables the parasite to develop resistance to our most effective antimalarial drug, artemisinin. The results could help to improve early detection of emerging artemisinin resistance.

20 Jan 2015

NTU scientists discover how malaria parasite develops resistance towards front-line drugs

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University have discovered exactly how the malaria parasite is developing resistance towards the most important front-line drugs used to treat the disease.

14 Dec 2014

Study finds that K13 gene mutations cause malaria drug resistance in Southeast Asia

Growing resistance to malaria drugs in Southeast Asia is caused by a single mutated gene inside the disease-causing Plasmodium falciparum parasite, according to a study led by David Fidock, PhD, professor of microbiology & immunology and of medical sciences (in medicine) at Columbia University Medical Center.

12 Dec 2014

Scientists report new family of selective molecules to combat causal agent of malaria

Malaria is one of the most serious health problems worldwide, registering 200 million clinical cases and more than 600,000 attributable deaths per year, according to information from the World Health Organization in 2013. Given the emerging resistance to the standard treatment most widely used throughout the world, which is based on artemisinin and its analogs, there is a need for new antimalarial compounds.

11 Dec 2014

Malaria deaths decline by 54% in Africa, 47% worldwide

The number of people dying from malaria has fallen dramatically since 2000 and malaria cases are also steadily declining, according to the World Malaria Report 2014. Between 2000 and 2013, the malaria mortality rate decreased by 47% worldwide and by 54% in the WHO African Region - where about 90% of malaria deaths occur.

9 Dec 2014

GHIT Fund announces new grants to tackle malaria, chagas disease and dengue

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, a new public health partnership that is bringing Japanese know-how and investment to the global fight against infectious diseases, today announced seven grant investments totaling US$15.3 million to speed the development of promising drugs and vaccines to battle three insect-borne diseases-malaria, dengue and Chagas disease.

16 Sep 2014

Pharmaceuticals against malaria can now be produced from waste of plant-extraction

Research success through collaborative efforts of chemists and engineers from Berlin/Potsdam and Magdeburg. All of the best currently available pharmaceuticals against malaria can now be produced in pure form using a single process, even from the waste of the plant-extraction.

10 Sep 2014

CleveXel Pharma, Guilin Pharmaceutical partner to speed up development of anti-malarial products

CleveXel Pharma today announces that the company has entered into a new partnering agreement with Guilin Pharmaceutical, a Chinese company located in Shanghai, regarding the development of two new products.

3 Sep 2014

Scientists identify number of compounds to treat cancer could add to anti-malarial arsenal

Scientists searching for new drugs to fight malaria have identified a number of compounds -- some of which are currently in clinical trials to treat cancer -- that could add to the anti-malarial arsenal.

26 Aug 2014

Sanofi, PATH announce delivery of first large-scale batches of antimalarial treatments

Sanofi and PATH today announced the delivery of the first large-scale batches of antimalarial treatments manufactured with a new semisynthetic artemisinin derivative to malaria-endemic countries in Africa.

12 Aug 2014

Combination therapy effective in treating drug-resistant malaria

Resistance to artemisinin, the main drug to treat malaria, is now widespread throughout Southeast Asia, among the Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) parasites that cause the disease and is likely caused by a genetic mutation in the parasites.

31 Jul 2014

Viewpoints: Abortion rights buffer; coming 'freakout' on health law; repercussions of malaria prevention

A Unanimous Supreme Court: Abortion Rights Lose A Buffer Yet on Thursday the Supreme Court, in McCullen v. Coakley, struck down that law for violating the First Amendment.

28 Jun 2014

Protein-kinase interactions offer a new way to fight antimalarial drug resistance

When it comes to the emergence of antimalarial drug resistance, it's not a question of 'if' but 'when'. In order to keep up with the quickly evolving Plasmodium parasite - the cause of malaria - new ways to treat and control the disease must be found.

9 Jun 2014

Longer looks: Exercise to treat depression; crowdsourcing treatment decisions; nitroglycerin shortage

Depression is the most common mental illness-;affecting a staggering 25 percent of Americans-;but a growing body of research suggests that one of its best cures is cheap and ubiquitous.

28 Mar 2014

Malaria: Over half of Africa's population still live in high-risk infection areas

Despite unprecedented investment in malaria control in Africa over the past decade, about 57% of the population still live in areas where risk of infection remains moderate to high, according to new research published in The Lancet.

21 Feb 2014

Ajoene in garlic prevents bacteria from destroying white blood cells

Aggressive multi-resistant infections constitute an increasing health problem all over the world. Bacteria are developing resistance at an alarming pace, so new pharmaceuticals that can combat this threat are in great demand.

19 Feb 2014

Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine more effective than artemether-lumefantrine in treating malaria

'Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine is more effective than artemether-lumefantrine, and has fewer side effects than artesunate-mefloquine' concludes a systematic review published by the Cochrane Infectious Disease Group, hosted by LSTM.

21 Jan 2014

Researchers discover way to identify artemisinin-resistant malaria

An international team of researchers has discovered a way to identify, at a molecular level, malaria-causing Plasmodium falciparum parasites that are resistant to artemisinin, the key drug for treating this disease.

20 Dec 2013

GHIT Fund makes new investments in potential treatments for malaria, tuberculosis and Chagas disease

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, a new public health partnership that is bringing Japanese know-how and investment to the global fight against infectious diseases, announced today grants of US$5.7 million to six global partnerships working on innovative drugs and vaccines against malaria, tuberculosis and Chagas disease.

8 Nov 2013