Last Updated: 27/05/2024
Portfolio approach to developing the next generation of malaria treatments for Africa (PAMAfrica)
Objectives
The PAMAfrica consortium was created to take up the challenge and implement a flexible portfolio approach to the development of new materials. The main aims of the consortium are to;
- Explore new combinations of compounds, including new chemical classes, for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in adults and children.
- Test a novel formulation/ratio from Novartis of the current gold standard treatment artemether-lumefantrine in newborn infants weighing less than 5 kg or who are malnourished.
- Evaluate a new generation, rapid-acting treatment for severe malaria, cipargamin, also known as KAE609
- Strengthen both the research capacity at trial sites and the research capability of next-generation African scientists from partnering institutions.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Switzerland
Tübingen University, Germany
Medical Research Center Lambarene (CERMEL), Gabon
Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Spain
Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM), Mozambique
Health Action Research Group (GRAS), Burkina Faso
Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration (IDRC), Uganda
Research Institute of Health Sciences (IRSS), Burkina Faso
Merck, United States
Recent signs show that progress in the UN sustainable development goal of ending the current malaria epidemic by 2030 is stalling. In 2021, malaria caused an estimated 247 million clinical episodes, and 619,000 deaths, primarily in children in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, resistance to the artemisinin class and artemisinin-based combination therapy-partner drugs threatens to undermine 15 years of progress. New treatments are urgently needed to address treatment gaps and help achieve national and supra-national targets.
The PAMAfrica project presents leading drug candidates from the MMV partnership portfolio, plus reformulations of licensed medicines, to be evaluated in clinical trials. A five-year consortium-driven programme started in 2020. The PAMAfrica research consortium will conduct three clinical trials, supporting efforts to build clinical capacity and train scientists across Africa. One trial will explore new combinations of compounds, including new chemical classes, for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in adults and children. These compounds are all known to be fully active against all drug-resistant strains, including the artemisinin-resistant Kelch13 strains. The second trial will evaluate a new generation, rapid-acting treatment for severe malaria, cipargamin, also known as KAE609, which is being developed by Novartis, supported by a grant from the Wellcome Trust. In the third study, a novel formulation/ratio from Novartis of the current gold standard treatment artemether-lumefantrine will be tested in newborn infants weighing less than 5 kg or who are malnourished.
Drug-based Strategies
Health Systems & Op. Research
Product Development
Jan 2020 — Dec 2024
$49.33M
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