Novartis has announced a new malaria treatment called GanLum. The drug contains a novel molecule named ganaplacide that works in a different way from current antimalarials, so the parasite has no prior defence.
A late-stage trial included over 1,600 patients in 12 countries in sub‑Saharan Africa. Given as a sachet of granules once a day for three days, GanLum cured 97.4% of participants, compared with 94% for an existing treatment. Medicines for Malaria Venture said regulatory approvals could come in about 16 months, and the drug could be available on the market in 2027.
Difficult words
- drug — A substance used to treat illness.medicines
- effective — Works well to achieve desired result.
- malaria — A serious disease spread by mosquitoes.
- treating — To give care or medicine for an illness.treatments
- trial — A test to check the effectiveness of something.trials
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Discussion questions
- Why is it important to have new treatments for malaria?
- How do you think GanLum will change malaria treatment?
- What are the benefits of clinical trials for new drugs?
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