Drug-Resistant Malaria Is Spreading, but a New Agent Shows Promise

While artemisinin-resistant falciparum malaria spreads in Southeast Asia, a new synthetic spiroindolone analogue has cleared vivax and falciparum parasites in a phase II study.

Spread of artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum threatens gains in malaria control. Two new studies focus on the dilemma.

One research group mapped the geographic extent and severity of artemisinin resistance in an open-label randomized trial in 10 countries (7 in Asia, 3 in Africa). In all, 1241 participants (age 6 months to 65 years) with acute uncomplicated malaria received either 2 mg/kg or 4 mg/kg of artesunate for 3 days, followed by standard 3-day artemisinin-based combination therapy.

Repeated blood smears revealed marked differences in prolonged parasite-clearance half-life values by geographic region. The highest proportion of prolonged parasite clearance was found in western Cambodia and eastern Thailand. Slow parasite cl…

Reviewing Author

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Drug-Resistant Malaria Is Spreading, but a New Agent Shows Promise

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Reviewing Author