Researchers have discovered a new anti-malaria compound that could treat the infection with a single dose of medicine, even in patients with drug-resistant parasites.
The incredible compound, dubbed DDD107498, could also prevent the spread of malaria and keep people in affected areas from developing the disease in the first place, the University of Dundee reported.
"There is still some way to go before the compound can be given to patients. However we are very excited by the progress that we have made." said Professor Ian Gilbert, Head of Chemistry at the Drug Discovery Unit, who led the team that discovered the compound.
Malaria is still a threat to nearly half of the world's population, and the parasites' resistance to today's common treatments has been growing. This new compounds works differently than current drugs, meaning it could be an effective weapon against drug-resistant parasites.
"The need for new antimalarial drugs is more urgent than ever before, with emerging strains of the parasite now showing resistance against the best available drugs," said Michael Chew from the Wellcome Trust, which provides funding for the Dundee DDU and MMV. "These strains are already present at the Myanmar-Indian border and it's a race against time to stop resistance spreading to the most vulnerable populations in Africa. The discovery of this new antimalarial agent, which has shown remarkable potency against multiple stages of the malaria lifecycle, is an exciting prospect in the hunt for viable new treatments."
The compound was identified through a collaboration between the University of Dundee's Drug Discovery Unit (DDU) and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV). The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Nature.
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