Novartis begins ‘next-generation’ malaria treatment trial
pharmafile | August 21, 2017 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | MMV, Novartis, biotech, drugs, malaria, pharma, pharmaceutical
Novartis, alongside Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), have revealed that trials into a new antimalarial compound have begun in a first clinic in Mali. The trial is investigating a compound, KAF156, as a potentially ground-breaking treatment that can clear malaria infection, including particularly resistant strains, and block the transmission of the malaria parasite.
The good news in the fight against malaria is badly needed, as increasing evidence is found of growing resistance to current therapies developing in Asia, with five countries having cases with artemisinin being ineffective.
While the cases of the inefficacy of artemisinin rare, the potential for the resistance to spread to Africa, where the majority of deaths from malaria occur, is particularly worrying. At present, the concerted work of those involved with developing new treatments has managed to reduce the death toll from malaria significantly but if present therapies become ineffective, this progress could be lost. In May, Pharmafocus spoke to representatives from Novartis and MMV to determine the best hope of progress.
The KAF156 compound is part of a novel class of antimalarial medicines called imidazolopiperazines. It will be tested alongside a new formulation of an existing medicine, lumefantrine, and will be compared against an artemisinin-based combination therapy.
“This new milestone underscores our company’s long-standing commitment to the fight against malaria,” said Vas Narasimhan, Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis. “With nearly half of the world’s population at risk, malaria continues to be a major public health challenge. Developing new antimalarial medicines is critical to achieving malaria elimination. Innovative science continues to be our best weapon against the disease.”
Beyond the first trial in Mali, there will be a further 16 locations to test the treatment across Africa and Asia. It is hoped that, should the treatment be showed to be safe, that it will move into clinical trials in children next year. The reason for this speed of moving into trials in children is because they are the most vulnerable to the infection.
Novartis aims to have the results from the trial by the end of 2019 before moving onto a larger trial.
Ben Hargreaves
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