Global pharmaceutical company Novartis is working on several new drugs to treat malaria and its severe forms, and address emerging parasite resistance to current treatments.
The most advanced in clinical development is Ganaplacide, a novel antimalarial drug that has the potential to clear infection and kill the sexual transmission stages of the parasite, helping stop further transmission of malaria. In trials, the drug in combination with the antimalarial drug lumefantrine has also shown to clear preexisting parasites that have developed partial resistance to artemisinin, a key anti-malarial drug, according to Caroline Boulton, global program head for malaria at Novartis.
At present, the drug is in phase 3 trials in several African countries to compare its efficacy with Coartem, the current drug of choice for treating uncomplicated malaria across sub-Saharan Africa where the deadly malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is most prevalent. Novartis expects the trials to conclude in 2025.