Why is semisynthetic artemisinin a solution?
Artemisinin based combination therapies (ACTs) have been heralded by the international malaria community as an excellent option for the treatment of malaria. They have been shown to be safe and efficacious for the treatment of both uncomplicated and severe malaria. Additionally, while the disease-causing Plasmodium parasite has become increasingly resistant to traditional antimalarial therapies such as chloroquine, it has not yet shown any clinical resistance to artemisinin and its derivatives. Unfortunately, although ACTs are recommended as preferential therapies in areas with drug-resistant malaria parasites,10they are currently prohibitively expensive for many of the millions of impoverished people who contract the disease each year. This problem stems mainly from the labor-intensive artemisinin extraction process from A.annua, the plant from which this important compound is derived. The development of semi-synthetic artemisinin is expected to provide a consistent, reliable, and che
