May 27, 2010
The Question
How can the life of Artemisinins, a highly effective class of antimalarial drugs, be prolonged and resistance delayed?
What we found
Artemisinins should be used in combination with antimalarial that work in unrelated ways. An immediate globally administered subsidy for several combination therapies is recommended to discourage artemisinin monotherapy. The subsidy should decrease over time with the decline in malaria prevalence. Models predict that even if a subsidy increases overall use, the switch from monotherapy should prolong the life of the drugs.
Why it matters
Malaria parasites have become resistant to chloraquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Artemisinin provide a renewed hope in the fight against malaria. To insure their long-term use, it is important to maintain low resistance.
