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Place of artemether among the qinghaosu derivatives |
Cahiers d'études et de recherches francophones / Santé . Volume 3, Number 4, 308-13, Juillet-Août 1993, Synthèse
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 Résumé
Article gratuit
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Author(s) : Marie-Élisabeth Bougnoux, Thierry Ancelle |
Summary : Artemether is a new antimalarial agent. It is derived from qinghaosu, itself an antimalarial drug extracted from Artemisia annua. This original active compound was discovered in China in 1971. Artemether is developed by Rhône-Poulenc Rorer and is currently used in some endemic areas. It acts on asexual intraerythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum, and also seems to be active against P. vivax. Although not fully understood, the mechanism of action differs from that of other antimalarial drugs and confers activity against chloroquin-resistant strains. Qinghaosu resistance has been induced in the laboratory in infected rodents but has never been observed in clinical practice. In man, this drug eliminates circulating parasites in a remarkably short time \; the rapidity with which body temperature falls is also surprising. Artemether is only available at present in the form of an oily solution for intramuscular injection, but other pharmaceutical forms are being developed. The precise place of this drug in the treatment of serious malaria, particularly cerebral forms, should become apparent from clinical trials currently underway. |
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