Novartis has introduced a new antimalarial drug called GanLum, which has shown a cure rate of over 97%. This is the first new antimalarial drug in 25 years, and according to experts, it could be "the biggest breakthrough in treating the disease in decades."
This is reported by Independent, according to UNN.
Details
GanLum was developed to overcome parasite resistance to existing drugs. The drug combines a new compound - ganaplacide - and an improved form of the already known asobu lumefantrine.
Dr. Sujata Vaidyanathan, Head of Global Health Development at Novartis, explained:
This has the potential not only to treat the disease but also to act against resistant parasites and block disease transmission.
She added that the new drug "disrupts the parasite's internal protein transport system, which is essential for its survival in the blood." According to her, there have been no significant innovations in malaria treatment in the last 25 years, as artemisinin-based combination therapy remained effective.
But now, due to the emergence of resistance, we have developed a completely new type of compound
Clinical trials of GanLum were conducted in 12 African countries, and more than 1,700 adults and children participated in the study, with the drug demonstrating a cure rate of 99.2%.
GanLum is administered as granules taken once a day for three days. Novartis plans to obtain regulatory approval for GanLum as soon as possible.
Experts hope that the new drug will help stop the spread of resistant forms of the malaria parasite and will be an important step in the fight against a disease that claims hundreds of thousands of lives every year.
Recall
Researchers from Cologne have discovered antibody 04A06, which effectively prevents HIV from entering cells, neutralizing 98% of virus variants. This discovery is promising for passive immunization but requires further research.