A-level – Antimalarial artemisinin and its semisynthetic derivatives

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Artemisinin is an antimalarial drug, derived from Artemisia annua, (sweet wormwood) that has been used for centuries in China to treat malaria. It is effective in its natural form but has limitations like high cost, poor availability, and low oral absorption. Other related drugs like Artemether and Artesunate have been used in combination therapies, but first-generation analogues are expensive and not easily accessible.

Recently, resistance to artemisinin has developed due to a mutation in the K13 gene of Plasmodium falciparum (the malaria parasite). This has created a need for new drugs with a similar structure. Researchers at the University of Liverpool have worked on alternatives like RKA 182, a potent tetraoxane that could provide a more effective treatment for malaria.

C. M. Woodley, P. S. M. Amado, M. L. S. Cristiano and P. M. O’Neill, Med Res Rev, 2021, 41, 3062-3095.