Novartis wins FDA approval for malaria drug

According to Novartis, Coartem is a fixed-dose combination of two novel antimalarials. It is a highly-effective three-day malaria treatment with cure rates of over 96% even in areas of multi-drug resistance.

In the US, Coartem will be made available through pharmacies and hospitals. Coartem is indicated for the treatment of acute uncomplicated infections due to plasmodium falciparum, the company said.

Daniel Vasella, chairman and CEO of Novartis, said: “Around the world, Coartem has eliminated suffering for millions and saved lives for hundreds of thousands of malaria patients. With a growing number of malaria cases in the US due to rising travel, it is important to make artemisinin-based combination treatment such as Coartem, the most effective therapy for malaria, available to American patients as well.”