Antimalarial candidate holds promise as a single dose

A new antimalarial candidate could pave the way for a single-dose treatment that boosts malaria eradication when used in combination with other preventative measures.

Mosquito is a vector of malaria. Image credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Researchers indicated that the compound MMV390048 could block all life cycle stages of the malaria parasite. It was also shown to be effective against resistant strains, prevent infection and block transmission.

“This drug profile reveals the potential to be part of a single-dose cure, benefitting people who are infected with malaria, and working as a preventative measure,” says Kelly Chibale, a corresponding author of the article and founding director of the University of Cape Town (UCT) Drug Discovery and Development Centre, H3D.

MMV390048 is a derivative small molecule belonging to the aminopyridine class. It was first announced as a preclinical development candidate in 2012, and in 2014, it was the first new anti-malarial candidate to enter phase I human studies in Africa when clinical trials began at the UCT Clinical Research Centre.

Done as a precursor to clinical studies, Chibale says this research provided a guideline for therapeutic dosage levels that would apply to human models, and gave confidence that the drug could indeed work in humans.

The drug could kill the parasite in infected individuals before symptoms present, but could also be used when patients are visibly ill, and help block further mosquito transmission.

The drug is set to enter the second phase of clinical trials in 2017 in Ethiopia. If the outcomes of these trials are successful and funding is available, Chibale says the drug could be on the market in six to eight years. (SciDev.Net)

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