A promising new malaria drug named GanLum could soon transform the global fight against the deadly disease, offering a strong alternative as traditional treatments begin to lose their effectiveness due to growing resistance.
The Battle Against Malaria: A Long Struggle
At the turn of the millennium, a class of drugs known as artemisinins, derived from the ancient Chinese herb sweet wormwood, changed the course of malaria treatment. These drugs arrived just in time, as older medications used since the 1970s were becoming ineffective due to parasite resistance.
“The deaths we saw in the late 1990s and early 2000s — around 2 million a year — were a direct result of drug failure,” said George Jagoe, Executive Vice President at the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV). “No one ever wants to be behind the 8-ball again.”
Artemisinin-based therapies have since saved millions of lives and are now the foundation of malaria treatment worldwide. However, researchers are now seeing early signs that history may be repeating itself.
Resistance on the Rise
Experts have raised concerns over partial artemisinin resistance, first identified in Southeast Asia in the late 2000s and now spreading across Africa — the region most affected by malaria.
“Partial artemisinin resistance has been spreading quite aggressively across many parts of Africa,” warned David Fidock, a microbiologist at Columbia University. “We’ve been sounding the alarm that new drugs must be ready should resistance lead to treatment failure. GanLum will help stem that significantly.”
Introducing GanLum: A New Generation Drug
The new drug GanLum — a combination of ganaplacide (a new compound) and lumefantrine (an existing one) — was recently tested in clinical trials across 12 African countries. The results were remarkable:
Over 97% effectiveness in treating malaria.
Comparable or better results than current artemisinin-based therapies.
Similar side effects, including mild nausea and diarrhoea.
Slightly higher rate of vomiting among participants using GanLum.
These findings were presented at the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conference in Toronto, drawing widespread attention from researchers and public health officials.
“It’s a big deal — and also very timely,” said Kasturi Haldar, a biologist at the University of Notre Dame.
How GanLum Works
GanLum targets malaria differently from artemisinin. The ganaplacide component was discovered by scientists at Novartis, who screened more than 2.3 million molecules to identify compounds with antimalarial potential.
It works by disrupting the parasite’s ability to survive inside red blood cells, and importantly, it also attacks the transmission stage of the parasite — helping to prevent the spread of the disease to others.
“That is very desirable for a drug to have,” explained Haldar, “since it can both treat the patient and stop the disease from spreading.”
Clinical Trials Across Africa
The study enrolled over 16,000 participants, including adults and children aged 2 years and above, from 12 African nations. Participants were randomly given either:
GanLum for three days, or
The standard artemisinin-based therapy.
The outcomes were impressive: both drugs performed similarly, but GanLum slightly outperformed the existing standard.
What’s Next for GanLum?
Although the results are highly encouraging, GanLum must still pass regulatory approvals before being made widely available. Experts estimate it could take about 18 months before it reaches clinics.
Even then, it is unlikely to replace artemisinin-based therapies immediately, as those treatments still work effectively in many areas. Instead, GanLum is expected to be deployed in regions where resistance has already reduced treatment success.
“At this point, it looks good enough that it could be used where there’s a lack of responsiveness to the current drugs,” said Haldar.
A Lifeline for the Future
If approved, GanLum could help:
Prevent a new wave of malaria deaths caused by drug resistance.
Prolong the effectiveness of existing treatments.
Reduce disease transmission across high-risk regions.
Jagoe summarised the breakthrough perfectly:
“It’s like having a fire extinguisher ready before the house catches fire — not waiting until it’s too late.”
With nearly half a million people dying from malaria every year, mostly children in Africa, GanLum could be the lifeline the world needs to stay ahead in the fight against one of humanity’s oldest and deadliest foes.
References
Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV)
Novartis Research Updates
American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Toronto Conference
University of Notre Dame
Columbia University Medical Research
Source: NPR Health News | WHO Malaria Programme
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