Suppositories kill deadliest malaria parasites fast

By Michael Kahn

LONDON (Reuters) - Suppositories derived from sweet wormwood kill the deadliest malaria parasites quickly and offer a stop-gap treatment for people in remote areas until they can reach a hospital, researchers said on Friday.

Their study found that a single dose of any artemisinin derivative given rectally was better at clearing parasites after 24 hours than a conventional injection of the older drug quinine for people with severe malaria.

The researchers published their findings in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases.

"Early effective treatment with artemisinin-based suppositories has potential as a lifesaving intervention, particularly at the periphery of the healthcare system," World Health Organisation researcher Melba Gomes and colleagues wrote.

Malaria is caused by a parasite transmitted by mosquitoes. The disease kills a child every 30 seconds, mainly African children under the age of 5, according to the World Health Organisation.

It has become resistant to some drugs and work on a vaccine has been slow. One effective treatment is Novartis AG's Coartem, a pill which consists of the older drug lumefantrine plus an artemisinin derivative.

But people severely ill with malaria unable to swallow a pill often need a quinine injection or suppository made with artemisinin, Gomes said in a telephone interview.

Artemisinin is derived from sweet wormwood and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.