P. vivax causes up to five million malaria infections every year; children ages 2 to 6 are four times as likely as adults to contract the disease.
The parasite is a slippery adversary that rapidly cycles through different forms in the body. In blood, the infection can cause acute symptoms of fever, chills, vomiting and muscle pains.
P. vivax can also hide out in the liver, triggering relapses months or even years after the initial exposure. These episodes can lead to severe anemia, lasting brain damage and death.
“That’s the trademark of vivax malaria,” Mr. Jagoe said.
Most treatments, including chloroquine, are directed at the blood stage of the parasite, and so cannot prevent recurrence of the infection and its associated symptoms. But tafenoquine goes after the sleeper colonies in the liver. In combination with chloroquine, tafenoquine can deliver what scientists call a “radical cure.”
In July 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved 300 milligrams of tafenoquine for the radical cure of P. vivax malaria in adults and adolescents 16 years and older. Drug regulators in Australia, Brazil, Thailand and Peru followed suit with similar approvals.
The new formulation for children is given as a single small 50-milligram tablet dispersed in water, which is much easier for children to take than the current seven- or 14-day course of pills developed for adults — and therefore much more likely to be used.
“Today, we have a tool to put a stop to the relentless relapse both for adults and children — we are one step closer to defeating this disease,” David Reddy, the chief executive of the Medicines for Malaria Venture, said in a statement.
The parasite is a slippery adversary that rapidly cycles through different forms in the body. In blood, the infection can cause acute symptoms of fever, chills, vomiting and muscle pains.
P. vivax can also hide out in the liver, triggering relapses months or even years after the initial exposure. These episodes can lead to severe anemia, lasting brain damage and death.
“That’s the trademark of vivax malaria,” Mr. Jagoe said.
Most treatments, including chloroquine, are directed at the blood stage of the parasite, and so cannot prevent recurrence of the infection and its associated symptoms. But tafenoquine goes after the sleeper colonies in the liver. In combination with chloroquine, tafenoquine can deliver what scientists call a “radical cure.”
In July 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved 300 milligrams of tafenoquine for the radical cure of P. vivax malaria in adults and adolescents 16 years and older. Drug regulators in Australia, Brazil, Thailand and Peru followed suit with similar approvals.
The new formulation for children is given as a single small 50-milligram tablet dispersed in water, which is much easier for children to take than the current seven- or 14-day course of pills developed for adults — and therefore much more likely to be used.
“Today, we have a tool to put a stop to the relentless relapse both for adults and children — we are one step closer to defeating this disease,” David Reddy, the chief executive of the Medicines for Malaria Venture, said in a statement.
This is such an interesting read, thanks for sharing Maria! Malaria is often talked about as one of the last global hurdles to disease eradication, but it's unique in its evolutionary links to other diseases, most notably sickle cell anemia. It still shocks me that we use chloroquine as a primary treatment given its toxicity in humans, but I guess that is the price to pay for a treatment to something as detrimental as malaria. I wonder if a liver transplant is a viable option for people with this form of malaria; although Hursha's talk on Thursday illuminated issues with organ allocation, I do wonder if this is a go-to treatment for people in countries that have readily accessible liver transplants.
ReplyDeleteChloroquine also caught my eye...
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting read! I think that malaria is one of the next big things humanity will find a cure for. It will be interesting to see the prevelence of sickle cell anemia after the cure of malaria within the population.
ReplyDelete