Novartis leads way in new class of malaria treatments

23 September 2016

Decades of progress towards the eradication of malaria could face a significant setback after reports that mosquito-borne parasites carrying the disease have shown early signs of resistance to current treatments, scientists have warned.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease primarily caused by parasites (Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax) transmitted to people through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes.

Swiss pharma giant Novartis’ (NOVN:VX) fixed-dose artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), Coartem, is the current standard of care in malaria treatment and has been used to treat more than 750,000 adults and children since 2001, as part of the company’s Malaria Initiative. But the first signs of resistance to current treatments, including Coartem, were reported in South-East Asia last year.

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