Second-generation peroxides: The OZs and artemisone

Abstract

The emergence of multi-drug resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum has rendered many affordable antimalarials, such as chloroquine, much less effective in addressing the severe health issues in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and the Amazon region. In order to overcome the neurotoxicity of an initial series of artemisinin-derived drugs and their relatively high production costs, an intensive and all-inclusive research programme to develop new derivatives has been undertaken. Two efficient antimalarial drug candidates of different chemotype have been devised, the artemisinin derivative artemisone and 1,2,4-troxolane OZ277. Both are nontoxic, more potent than artemisinin and should be affordable to people of endemic regions. The same may hold for the backup candidates artemiside and OZ439.