DSM265 is an experimental antimalarial that selectively inhibits the parasite dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). DSM265 is the first DHODH inhibitor to reach clinical development for treatment of malaria. DSM265 is highly selective toward DHODH of the malaria parasite Plasmodium, efficacious against both blood and liver stages of P. falciparum, and active against drug-resistant parasite isolates. The only possible DSM265-related adverse event was a moderate transient elevation in serum bilirubin.

GNF-156 (ganaplacide or KAF-156) is an antimalarial agent that is part of the imidazolopiperazine family. It exerts activity against pre-erythrocytic liver stages, asexual and sexual blood stages. An improvement compared to existing antimalarial drug combinations is that this compound shows promising single-dose antimalarial activity, and no serious safety and tolerability concerns in humans are known so far. Phase II clinical trials have been completed for GNF-156. Its potential is also being investigated in combination with lumefantrine (an aryl-amino alcohol) in LUM-KAF156.

Cipargamin is an experimental synthetic antimalarial molecule belonging to the spiroindolone class. It possesses both the potency (average IC50 of 550 pM against asexual blood-stage P. falciparum) and favorable pharmacokinetics (elimination half-life of ~24 hours in humans) needed for a single-dose cure, a feature that could help slow the onset of parasite resistance and that is not shared by existing, approved antimalarial drugs. KAE609 is also unique in its ability to block transmission to mosquitoes. Cipargamin is a parasite P-type ATPase4 inhibitor. Cipargamin in phase II clinical trials for the treatment of acute, uncomplicated malaria due to plasmodium falciparum monoinfection. Nausea was the most common reported adverse effect. The adverse events were generally mild and did not lead to any discontinuations of the drug.

AQ-13 is a drug candidate in development for the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum infections. The chemical structure is similar to chloroquine, a 4-aminoquinoline, with a shorter diaminoalkane side chain. The outstanding attribute of AQ-13 is its retrieval of activity against chloroquine-resistant P.falciparum. The most likely future indication of AQ-13 could be case management of uncomplicated falciparum malaria - as a partner drug in a combination therapy.

Artemisone (also known as BAY-44-9585; BAY-449585) is a 10-amino-artemisinin derivative that is markedly superior in vitro and in vivo to current artemisinins against malaria and also possesses antitumor activity. Nonetheless, its low water solubility and bioavailability has limited its clinical use, that is why was studied the encapsulated artemisone against human melanoma A-375. In addition, artemisone has the potential to be efficacious for the treatment of H. pylori infection, especially in combination with antibiotics.

Sodium artesunate, an artemisinin derivative, is used in malaria treatment. Artesunate, has been licensed in Thailand for the treatment of falciparum malaria since 1990. It is a potent antimalarial drug that can reduce parasitaemia by 90% within 24 h of administration. Sodium artesunate was first isolated in China, it is a water soluble antimalaria used clinically in China.

Lumefantrine is an antimalarial agent used to treat acute uncomplicated malaria. It is administered in combination with artemether for improved efficacy (Coartem tablets). Lumefantrine is a blood schizonticide active against erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum. The exact mechanism by which lumefantrine exerts its antimalarial effect is unknown. The most common adverse reactions of Coartem in adults are headache, anorexia, dizziness, asthenia, arthralgia and myalgia.