Antimalarial drugs and artesunate

NEW YORK, July 24 (Praxis Press) Plasmodium falciparum has developed resistance to most of currently available antimalarial drugs; as a result, malaria remains a serious health problem in some tropical areas. Nosten and colleagues studied the effectiveness of combined artesunate-mefloquine treatment for the treatment of malaria in Thailand. The introduction of combined treatment countered an increasing resistance to mefloquine monotherapy and a falling cure rate. Combined artesunate-mefloquine achieved a cure rate of 100% and decreased the incidence of malaria. Using artesunate in combination with conventional antimalarial drugs can prevent resistance.