Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites. The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected female mosquitoes. There are five different types of human-infecting Plasmodium; the deadliest are Plasmodium falciparum (mostly in Africa) and Plasmodium vivax (mainly in Asia and South America). Leftuntreated, malaria can progress to severe illness, and even to death.

Malaria remains a major health and social challenge. Today, half of the global population is at risk of malaria In 2024, there were an estimated 280 million cases of malaria  worldwide – 600,000 of which led to death from the disease. 95% of cases and deaths are in Africa. Malaria strikes hardest among pregnant women and children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Children under five still account for about 75% of all malaria deaths worldwide.

We have been engaged since 2015 in the battle against this disease, focusing on the development of a next-generation drug to potentially prevent infection, test and treat patients, and block the transmission of malaria from and to themosquito.

Back in 2015, we added a promising drug candidate to our pipeline. This is an investigational drug targeting the Plasmodium eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 (PeEF2): an enzyme involved in protein synthesis of the parasite. It has the potential to be a treatment and preventive option in the malaria field due to its activity against several stages of the parasite’s life cycle.

Our investigational drug successfully completed two clinical Phase I studies as a single agent for cure and prevention as well as two clinical Phase IIa trials in combination with pyronaridine (CAPTURE 1 & CAPTURE 2). Tests in combination are in line with the international guideline that requires new antimalarials to be developed as combination treatments to address the increasing challenge of drugresistance.

Research initiatives have helped the development of our drug candidate. The definition of sustainable access models supported our approach.

Our investment in malaria also spans  into enhancing laboratory capacity through microscopy education.  Through collaborations with academic institutions in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, laboratory technologists have been trained in clinical microscopy with a strong emphasis in diagnosing and phenotyping malaria, classifying anemia, and conducting leukocyte analysis to determine the cause of fevers.  We plan to render these trainings part of an online curricula.