title: Artemisinin--an innovative cornerstone for anti-malaria therapy.
abstract: Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACT) are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to treat especially multidrug resistant forms of malaria, as currently used medications have become increasingly ineffective. In this chapter, the discovery of artemisinin from Traditional Chinese Medicine and its further development to ACT are reviewed. It is highlighted how the complex supply chain to the naturally occurring endoperoxide artemisinin, required to produce ACT-based drugs, was established; thus addressing the significant therapeutic needs and high demands for the medication.
authors.affiliation: Global Chemical Operations, Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Postfach, 4002 Basel, Switzerland. thomas.kuhn@novartis.com
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077549:Artemether; D000077611:Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination; D031172:Artemisia annua / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018533:Biomass; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D004338:Drug Combinations; D015195:Drug Design; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005449:Fluorenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D000077611:Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination; D037621:Artemisinins; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004983:Ethanolamines; D005449:Fluorenes; D000077549:Artemether