The Future Outlook of Antimalarial Drugs and Recent Work on the Treatment of Malaria

Abstract

Background With the emergence of multidrug-resistant falciparum malaria, new drugs and drugs in combination are urgently needed. Methods New antimalarial drugs investigated at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases of the Faculty of Tropical Medicine at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand in recent years for treatment of uncomplicated and severe falciparum malaria are as follows: atovaquone, and artemisinin derivatives (artesunate, artemether, arteether, and dihydroartemisinin) combined with other antimalarials. Results Malarone ®, artemisinin derivatives combined with lumefantrine or doxycycline, and mefloquine combined with tetracycline or doxycycline have been evaluated with improvement of the cure rate in uncomplicated malaria. Artemisinin derivatives intravenously or intrarectally combined with mefloquine may be alternatives to intravenous quinine for treatment of severe malaria. Conclusions In Thailand, drug treatment for uncomplicated malaria consists of the combinations or artesunate plus mefloquine or artemether plus lumefantrine or quinine plus tetracycline. In treatment of severe malaria, antimalarial drugs of choice are intravenous quinine or artemisinin derivatives.