artesunate is an approved drug (FDA (2020), EMA (2021))
Compound class:
Synthetic organic
Comment: Artesunate is a semisynthetic derivative of artemisinin, a natural product isolated from the qinghao or sweet wormwood plant (Artemisia annua). It contains an unusual endoperoxide bridge, believed to be responsible for the antimalarial activity of artemisinin and its derivatives.
Artesunate is a prodrug that is converted to the active metabolite artenimol (dihydroartemisinin). The Malaria tab on this ligand page provides additional curator comments of relevance to the Guide to MALARIA PHARMACOLOGY. |
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References |
1. Delves M, Plouffe D, Scheurer C, Meister S, Wittlin S, Winzeler EA, Sinden RE, Leroy D. (2012)
The activities of current antimalarial drugs on the life cycle stages of Plasmodium: a comparative study with human and rodent parasites. PLoS Med, 9 (2): e1001169. [PMID:22363211] |
2. Morris CA, Duparc S, Borghini-Fuhrer I, Jung D, Shin CS, Fleckenstein L. (2011)
Review of the clinical pharmacokinetics of artesunate and its active metabolite dihydroartemisinin following intravenous, intramuscular, oral or rectal administration. Malar J, 10: 263. [PMID:21914160] |
3. (2015)
Treatment of severe malaria. In Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria. Third edition. (World Health Organization) . [PMID:26020088] [ISBN:9789241549127] |
4. (2015)
Treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. In Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria. Third edition. (World Health Organization) . [PMID:26020088] [ISBN:9789241549127] |