Malaria continues to exact heavy financial and socioeconomic burdens in several parts of the world, with 249 million cases and more than 630,000 deaths reported in 2022. Two-thirds of malaria-related deaths occur among children younger than 5 years.
Novel antimalarials are urgently needed to face the challenge of increasing parasite resistance. The isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis pathway is an attractive target for developing novel antimalarial drugs, being an essential and specific pathway in apicomplexan parasites.
Malaria cases increase at a slow but continued rate. There is a vital need for new antimalarial treatments able to overcome drug resistance for a more sustained control of the disease.
The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund has announced new investments in the development of a new prophylactic vaccine against malaria, a new anti-malarial drug, and product development projects against neglected tropical diseases.
Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) has launched a call for new chemical compounds to screen against malaria through its MMV open innovation (MMVoi) initiative. Submissions from both industry and academia allow for compounds that have already been synthesized but not yet tested against malaria to be identified.
