A New Anti-malarial Breakthrough Treatment Shows Strong Protection Against Drug Resistance : Shared by John Gilmartin
Real news on the malaria front. Both a three day granular treatment and news of a promising vaccine.
A New Antimalarial Breakthrough: GanLum Shows Strong Protection Against Rising Drug Resistance
Mariana Lenharo; Clinical Trials Arena staff; Reuters staff
Nature; Clinical Trials Arena; Reuters
Summary
A new non-artemisinin antimalarial therapy, GanLum — a combination of ganaplacide and lumefantrine — has demonstrated cure rates exceeding 97% in a large Phase III trial conducted across 12 African countries. Initial reporting in Nature shows that GanLum achieved a 97.4% cure rate and outperformed standard treatment regimens, marking the first major advance in malaria therapeutics in decades.
A follow-up analysis reported by Clinical Trials Arena confirms that the Phase III trial met its primary endpoint of non-inferiority to the current standard of care, while also highlighting GanLum’s novel mechanism of action, which is designed to overcome growing resistance to artemisinin-based therapies.
Reuters adds that the trial involved 1,688 adults and children at 34 sites, many located in regions where artemisinin resistance is already emerging. Novartis plans to seek regulatory approval and expects availability within 12–18 months, initially on a not-for-profit basis. Across all three sources, the picture is consistent: GanLum represents the most promising new malaria treatment in a generation and may offer a critical tool as resistance to existing therapies spreads in sub-Saharan Africa.
Quotes
“Ganaplacide–lumefantrine (GanLum) cured 97.4% of participants, outperforming an existing treatment, which cured 94%.” – Nature
“Phase III trial … meets primary endpoint of non-inferiority to standard of care Coartem®.” – Clinical Trials Arena
“A new antimalarial drug … was more than 97% effective at treating malaria in a phase III trial among 1,688 adults and children across 34 sites in 12 African countries.” – Reuters
“Drug resistance is a growing threat to Africa, so new treatment options can’t come a moment too soon.” — Abdoulaye Djimdé, quoted in Reuters
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