TREATMENT OF AFRICAN CHILDREN WITH UNCOMPLICATED FALCIPARUM-MALARIA WITH A NEW ANTIMALARIAL DRUG, CGP-56697

New antimalarial drugs are urgently needed. The use of short courses o f the new antimalarial drug artemether as monotherapy has been limited by secondary malaria episodes following parasite clearance. Therefore , a new antimalarial drug, CGP 56697, has been developed, which combin es artemether with a longer-acting antimalarial agent, benflumetol. A safety trial was undertaken in 60 Gambian children 1-6 years old with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. All children treated with CGP 56697 cleared their parasites 72 h after the start of treatment. No neurologic, cardiac, or other adverse reactions were observed. Seco nd episodes of falciparum malaria were recorded in 16 (27%) of the chi ldren. Second infections were more frequent during the rainy season th an during the dry season. Molecular epidemiologic studies suggested th at 12 of the 14 second episodes of malaria in children treated with CG P 56697 were due to new infections. CGP 56697 proved to be a safe and effective antimalarial drug in African children.