Novartis reveals new drug to fight malaria resistance and transmission

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis has unveiled a next-generation malaria treatment that not only demonstrates a 97% cure rate but also blocks disease transmission, representing a potential breakthrough in combating drug-resistant strains of the deadly parasite.

Developed using high-speed robotic screening of millions of compounds in San Diego, the drug GanLum achieved a 97% cure rate in a study involving 1,700 patients across 12 African countries.

According to Novartis's Dr. Sujata Vaidyanathan, the treatment "has the potential to not just treat the disease but also to work against resistant parasites and additionally block transmission" by targeting the parasite during its sexual development stage in mosquitoes.

Addressing critical drug resistance challenge

The breakthrough comes amid growing concern about artemisinin resistance reported in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

GanLum's effectiveness against mutant parasites addresses a critical need as malaria continues to kill nearly 600,000 people annually, mostly children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Professor Abdoulaye Djimdé of Mali, who participated in the trials, emphasized that while a single-dose cure remains the "holy grail," GanLum provides an urgently needed non-artemisinin option.

Treatment regimen and future availability

The current formulation requires three days of powder-like granules, presenting adherence challenges common to multi-day treatments.

While researchers presented separate findings on experimental single-dose combinations, experts noted GanLum's novel mechanism and longer effectiveness make it particularly promising.

Medicines for Malaria Venture collaborators hope to see the drug reach patients within approximately 18 months pending regulatory approvals.