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news.The World Health Organization has announced that 13 pharmaceutical companies have agreed to comply with the organization's recommendation to phase out single-drug artemisinin medicines for the oral treatment of malaria.
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This group of companies includes the main producers of high quality artemisinin monotherapies. The companies will now focus their marketing efforts for malaria primarily on artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs), in line with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.
The use of single-drug artemisinin treatment, or monotherapy – especially on a wide scale for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria – hastens development of resistance to artemisinin in malaria parasites. When used correctly in combination with other anti-malarial drugs in ACTs, artemisinin is nearly 95% effective in curing uncomplicated malaria and the parasite is highly unlikely to become drug resistant.
Therefore, in January 2006, the WHO appealed to all companies to stop marketing oral artemisinin monotherapies and to re-direct their production efforts towards ACTs. Following the January appeal, an additional 23 companies were identified and informed of the WHO’s recommendation and 13 companies said they would comply with the WHO guidance. Additional companies have said they are willing to collaborate with the WHO in this endeavor.
“In the last three months, thanks to determined follow-up, we have seen significant progress towards curbing the supply of inappropriate and clinically unsound malaria treatments,” said Dr Lee Jong-wook, WHO director-general. “WHO now calls for a complete transition to provision of WHO-recommended combination therapies, in order to preserve the efficacy of these life-saving treatments.”
The WHO said that it will continue to closely monitor those companies that have not yet declared their position. In addition, the organization will provide guidance to companies manufacturing ACTs that are seeking prequalification of their products, a process that involves meeting internationally agreed standards of efficacy, safety and quality.
The WHO has also called on national drug regulatory authorities in malaria-endemic countries to prohibit marketing of oral artemisinin monotherapies.