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Challenges in antimalarial drug discovery

    ,
    Didier Leroy

    Medicines for Malaria Venture, Route de Pré-Bois 20, PO Box 1826, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland

    ,
    Julie Lotharius

    Medicines for Malaria Venture, Route de Pré-Bois 20, PO Box 1826, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland

    &
    David Waterson

    Medicines for Malaria Venture, Route de Pré-Bois 20, PO Box 1826, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland

    Published Online:https://doi.org/10.4155/fmc.11.91

    Malaria is one of the most devastating diseases in the world, affecting almost 225 million people a year, and causing over 780,000 deaths, most of which are children under the age of 5 years. Following the recent call for the eradication of the disease, supported by the WHO, there has been increasing investment into antimalarial drug-discovery projects. These activities are aimed at generating the next generation of molecules focused on the treatment and transmission-blocking of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax endo- and exo-erythrocytic stages of the parasite. This article summarizes the current top-level thinking regarding the prosecution of such endeavors and the disease-specific considerations in project planning.

    Papers of special note have been highlighted as: ▪ of interest ▪▪ of considerable interest

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