A new and potentially life-saving step in the fight against malaria has surfaced as Novartis announced a promising drug combination that could prove crucial in regions where existing treatments are becoming less effective. Malaria continues to claim nearly 600,000 lives every year, though that number was once around 2 million about 25 years ago. The rise in deaths has been linked to the parasite’s growing resistance to long-used drugs, said George Jagoe, Executive Vice President for Access and Product Management at Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV). Thankfully, a new malaria medicine now shows real promise as an effective tool against resistant strains.New Malaria Treatments Show Promise As Drug Resistance GrowsOn Wednesday, researchers revealed two new ways to fight the growing problem of malaria resistance, one of which involves a fresh class of drugs. Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis shared results of what it called a next-generation therapy. The study, conducted in 12 African countries, showed that its experimental drug worked effectively against the malaria parasite and also appeared to prevent transmission.What Is GanLum?The new drug, known as ganaplacide/lumefantrine or GanLum, was jointly developed by Novartis and Medicines for Malaria Venture, a non-profit organisation. According to Reuters, it was more than 97% successful in treating malaria during a phase III trial involving 1,688 adults and children across 34 sites in 12 African countries, Novartis reported. Malaria still kills more than 600,000 people each year, most of them children under five in sub-Saharan Africa.GanLum is given as a packet of fine powder once daily for three days. However, getting patients to complete multi-day treatment remains a challenge. Many people stop after the first or second dose, once they begin to feel better. Experts estimate that about one-third of malaria patients fail to finish the full course, which can increase drug resistance and worsen otherwise curable infections.In a separate study, researchers testing a one-time treatment found that a single dose made up of four commonly available malaria medicines worked well in curing the infection. Both studies were presented on Wednesday at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conference in Toronto.Parasite Has Repeatedly Developed Drug ResistanceMalaria is caused by a parasite transmitted through mosquito bites. Infected individuals experience fever, chills, and flu-like symptoms that, if untreated, can become severe and even fatal. The disease primarily affects tropical and subtropical regions, with the highest death toll seen among children in sub-Saharan Africa.The medical community’s fight against malaria has seen highs and lows as new treatments appear, only for the parasite to eventually develop resistance.At the turn of this century, resistance to the once-effective chloroquine became widespread, and malaria deaths climbed to over 1.8 million annually. The introduction of a new group of drugs known as artemisinins helped reduce global malaria deaths dramatically.As per NHS, today, artemisinin-based therapies remain the standard treatment. Yet, early signs of partial resistance have begun to appear, and due to several factors, global malaria death rates have either stagnated or started to rise in certain regions.Experimental Treatment Shows PromiseGanLum, developed by Novartis, combines a new compound, ganaplacide, with an existing long-acting medication, lumefantrine. In a trial involving around 1,700 adults and children across 12 African nations, GanLum achieved a cure rate exceeding 97%, slightly higher than that of standard artemisinin-based therapies. It also proved highly effective against mutated malaria parasites that show partial resistance, according to Novartis officials.Reported side effects included fever and anemia, similar to those seen with other antimalarial drugs. There was also a higher rate of vomiting immediately after administration, which experts suggest may be related to the drug’s taste. The company has said it is exploring ways to make it more palatable, such as by adding flavouring or sweeteners, Reuters reported.
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