A new malaria compound could simplify prevention and treatment by allowing patients to receive therapy in a single dose, early trial results suggest.
The compound, called cabamiquine, was tested alongside the existing antimalarial drug pyronaridine in adults and teenagers.
Researchers said the combination was effective and had a favourable safety profile, supporting further testing in larger trials and in children.
The molecule was discovered by a team at the University of Dundee and has been developed with support from Medicines for Malaria Venture, or MMV.
Dr Beatriz Baragana, a member of the Dundee team that discovered cabamiquine, said: “This is an exciting step forward for a compound which has great potential to simplify dosing regimens for malaria, a disease which causes hundreds of thousands of deaths every year.
“All of the initial work that ultimately resulted in the discovery of cabamiquine was performed here in Dundee, with support and funding from Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV).
“We are delighted to see how the compound, when administered with pyronaridine, is progressing into a potential malaria medicine, giving hope to the millions of people affected by malaria every year.”
Malaria is a severe mosquito-borne illness that mostly affects people living in tropical countries.
There were an estimated 282m cases worldwide in 2024 and 610,000 deaths, with cases rising partly because of increasing resistance to existing drugs.
Cabamiquine is described as a novel drug-like molecule that could be administered as a single dose.
A simpler dosing schedule could be particularly important in regions where consistent access to healthcare can be difficult.
The research findings support further testing of the cabamiquine-pyronaridine combination in larger trials and among paediatric patients.
Professor Ian Gilbert is head of the University of Dundee’s drug discovery unit, which spearheaded the breakthrough.
The unit works with scientific partners to turn biological research into candidate drugs designed to address unmet medical needs.
Prof Gilbert said: “The benefits of this compound are not only that it looks to be effective, with a good benefit/risk profile, but it can also be delivered in a single dose, which is an important factor when you are treating a disease that occurs commonly in areas where consistent delivery of healthcare can be challenging.”
Following scientific and financial support from MMV, the organisation now plans to progress cabamiquine-pyronaridine into further development.
Paul Willis, vice president of drug discovery and preclinical safety at MMV, said: “Novel treatment and prevention regimens are urgently needed with simplified dosing to enable effective case management and to support long-term malaria control and elimination goals.”
