Artemisinin and its derivatives - An important new class of antimalarial agents

Artemisinin and its derivatives are a potent new class of antimalarials, or iginated from Artemisia annua, L. The clinical efficacy of these drugs is c haracterized by an almost immediate onset and rapid reduction of parasitaem ia. Their efficacy is high in such areas as well where multidrug-resistance is rampant, but in these areas, their combination with other (effective) a ntimalarials (e.g., mefloquine) is highly recommended. In this short review , the chemical structures, pharmacological properties, and clinical uses of artemisinin drugs are discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.