Portfolio approach to developing the next generation of malaria treatments for Africa (PAMAfrica)

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.

EDCTP GrantsProject Details

Drug-based Strategies
Health Systems & Op. Research
Product Development

Jan 2020 — Dec 2024

$49.33M

Burkina Faso
Gabon
Germany
Mozambique
Spain
Switzerland
Uganda