Swiss drugmaker Novartis announced a major victory against malaria. They released positive Phase III trial results for a new treatment called GanLum. This medication, known scientifically as ganaplacide/lumefantrine, proved highly effective.
The world urgently needs new drugs. Malaria parasites are developing resistance to existing treatments. This is especially true for the key drug, artemisinin. This resistance threatens decades of progress. GanLum is the first major innovation in malaria treatment since 1999.
The new drug achieved a cure rate over 97% in trials. This performance is better than the current standard of care. GanLum works in a completely new way. Its novel ingredient, ganaplacide, targets the parasite’s internal systems. Crucially, the treatment also blocks the parasite’s ability to be transmitted back to mosquitoes. This feature could help stop the disease’s spread. Novartis plans to seek regulatory approval soon. The company intends to supply GanLum on a not-for-profit basis in countries where malaria is widespread. This breakthrough offers a vital new tool to save hundreds of thousands of lives.
