Novartis and MMV launch new pediatric formulation of malaria drug

Novartis said that Coartem dispersible contains the same amounts of artemether and lumefantrine as Coartem, the leading artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in Africa, and is the first dispersible fixed-dose ACT developed especially for children.

Until now, parents crushed bitter-tasting antimalarial tablets for their children to swallow. The new sweet-tasting Coartem dispersible tablets disperse quickly in small amounts of water, easing administration and ensuring effective dosing for children, the company added.

Like Coartem, Coartem dispersible will be provided to the public sector without profit to benefit those people most in need in the developing world, according to Novartis. In addition to Swissmedic, Coartem dispersible is approved by several regulatory authorities in Africa. These countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Zambia.

Daniel Vasella, chairman and CEO of Novartis, said: This new Coartem dispersible tablet can help improve treatment and compliance saving many of the more than 700,000 children under five who die each year from malaria. I am pleased that we can provide a clearly better formulation to help ensure children with malaria receive and can take an effective therapy.