Improved Understanding Of New Malaria Treatment

Main Category: Tropical Diseases
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 03 Dec 2006 - 9:00 PDT


Drugs based on the substance artemisinin (derived from a Chinese herb) are now the main hope in the battle against malaria. It is often best to give malarial drugs rectally. Focusing on the rectal administration of one artemisinin derivative (artesunate), researchers have added to what is known about its pharmokinetics - i.e. the way in which it is absorbed and processed by the body. They established that artesunate is sufficiently well absorbed via the rectal route in most patients to make artesunate suppositories a promising first-line treatment for moderately severe malaria. However, they also noted that patients do vary in how well they process the drug.

Citation: Simpson JA, Agbenyega T, Barnes KI, Di Perri G, Folb P, et al. (2006) Population pharmacokinetics of artesunate and dihydroartemisinin following intra-rectal dosing of artesunate in malaria patients. PLoS Med 3(11): e444.

PLEASE ADD THE LINK TO THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT: http://dx/doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0030444

CONTACT: Julie Simpson
The University of Melbourne
Department of Public Health
Level 2, 723 Swanston Street
Carlton, Victoria
Australia, 3053

Potential new drug in war against tuberculosis

The number of cases of tuberculosis continues to rise worldwide and there are major problems with resistance to the drugs used to treat it. Japanese scientists have identified a compound which attacks the cell walls of the organism that causes the disease, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. They now report their laboratory and animal studies, which suggest the new compound (OPC-67683) has potential as a treatment for the disease. Clinical studies with patients are now needed.

Citation: Matsumoto M, Hashizume H, Tomishige T, Kawasaki M, Tsubouchi H, et al. (2006) OPC-67683, a nitro-dihydro-imidazooxazole derivative with promising action against tuberculosis in vitro and in mice. PLoS Med 3(11): e466.

PLEASE ADD THE LINK TO THE PUBLISHED ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT: http://dx/doi.org/10.1371/%20journal.pmed.0030466

CONTACT:
Makoto Matsumoto
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co.Ltd.
Microbiological Research Institute
463-10 Kagasuno Kawauchi-cho
Tokushima, 771-0192
Japan

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