Chinese Scientists Developing Drugs to Cure Malaria

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 20, 2001

Chinese Scientists Developing Drugs to Cure Malaria

Chinese scientists are developing a range of highly-effective medicines to cure the deadly disease malaria.

The medicines, containing a derivative of a traditional herb artemisinin, are expected to pose the best hope of curing the disease.

Chinese scientists developing drugs,containing a derivative of a traditional herb artemisinin, to cure malaria

Chinese scientists are developing a range of highly-effective medicines to cure the deadly disease malaria.

The medicines, containing a derivative of a traditional herb artemisinin, are expected to pose the best hope of curing the disease.

New treatments can save thousands of lives/day

Shigeru Omi, World Health Organization's Western Pacific Regional Director said, quoted by Tuesday's China Daily, that the malaria parasite's growing resistance to many drugs has caused a major setback to malaria control, and consequently, these new treatments could save thousands of lives every day.

One treatment already available, another drug may be on the market within two years

As least four treatments are being developed, combining artemisinin, a derivative of a traditional herb known in China as qinghaosu, with modern synthetic drugs. One is already available, while another less expensive drug may be on the market within two years.

Malaria kills about one million people annually

These combinations cure more than 95 percent of cases of malaria, which kills about one million people annually.

Only three days needed

They also stand out from the many other anti-malaria treatments because they only need to be taken for three days, compared to week-long treatments for other drugs.

International support

The World Health Organization said it is working to accelerate the development of the treatments by providing international support, particularly in the fields of clinical trials, safety assessment and production quality.

About artemisinin

China rediscovered artemisinin in the 1960s. Historical records show it had been used over several centuries to treat fevers and can kill 99 percent of malaria parasites within 48 hours.

However, to completely cure infections, artemisinin has to be taken for a week.

Malaria is by far the world's most important tropical parasitic disease, and kills more people than any other communicable disease except tuberculosis. In many developing countries, and in Africa especially, malaria exacts an enormous toll in lives, in medical costs, and in days of labour lost. The causative agents in humans are four species of Plasmodium protozoa (single-celled parasites) -- P.falciparum, P.vivax, P.ovale and P.malariae. Of these, P.falciparum accounts for the majority of infections and is the most lethal. Malaria is a curable disease if promptly diagnosed and adequately treated.In detail

Artemisinin was originally developed in 1972 in China (Chines Institute of material medicine) from the plant Artemisia annua L (sweet wormwood), a sesquiterpene lactone (emperical formula C15 H22 O5. Artemisinin is the active ingredient in qinghao, a Chinese herbal tea that have been used for 150 years to treat malaria and haemorrhoids. It grows in the wild in China and now has been found to grow in other parts of the world too, though the species may vary a bit. Locally, it is prepared as an infusion of the dried leaves. In detail

Malaria Continues to Take Heavy Toll in Africa