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.

Artenimol (dihydroartemisinin) is a derivate of antimalarial compound artemisinin. Artenimol (dihydroartemisinin) is able to reach high concentrations within the parasitized erythrocytes. Its endoperoxide bridge is thought to be essential for its antimalarial activity, causing free-radical damage to parasite membrane systems including: • Inhibition of falciparum sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase, • Interference with mitochondrial electron transport • Interference with parasite transport proteins • Disruption of parasite mitochondrial function. Dihydroartemisinin in combination with piperaquine tetraphosphate (Eurartesim, EMA-approved in 2011) is indicated for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The formulation meets WHO recommendations, which advise combination treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria to reduce the risk of resistance development, with artemisinin-based preparations regarded as the ‘policy standard’. However, experimental testing demonstrates that, due to its intrinsic chemical instability, dihydroartemisinin is not suitable to be used in pharmaceutical formulations. In addition, data show that the currently available dihydroartemisinin preparations fail to meet the internationally accepted stability requirements.

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.