Wormwood-based drug may save you from malaria

Artesunate is an antimalarial drug based on wormwood phyto-compounds. It became the first-line treatment for severe malaria in the United States. 280 malaria patients who received intravenous artesunate participated in a disease control and prevention study.

Among 170 patients, parasitemia was reduced to less than 1% in virtually all participants (93.5%) with the 3rd dose of artesunate. 5 participants died of complications caused by the severe course of the disease. Thus, adverse events associated with the administration of artesunate were in 5% of patients. The observed mortality rate in participants treated with artesunate was lower (1.8) than in patients with severe malaria treated with quinidine (3%).

Source: healio