Signal Antimalarial compound hailed as 'exciting step forward' in fight against disease

Summary

Researchers at the University of Dundee developed a new antimalarial compound called cabamiquine, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, according to AOL. Cabamiquine is described as a novel drug-like molecule that can be delivered in a single dose. An early-stage clinical trial showed that when administered together with the commonly used antimalarial drug pyronaridine, it was effective and had a favorable safety profile in adults and adolescents. In 2024, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths worldwide, figures that have been rising in part due to growing drug resistance. Researchers said the single-dose format could improve treatment adherence, particularly in regions most affected by the disease. The findings arrive as existing antimalarial treatments face mounting resistance worldwide.