NEWS – Switzerland has approved Coartem Baby, the world’s first malaria treatment specifically for infants weighing 2–5 kg (newborns to under 6 months).

HIGHLIGHTS

• Developed by Novartis in collaboration with Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and supported by the UK, Switzerland, Netherlands, World Bank, and Rockefeller Foundation.
• It is a pediatric formulation combining artemether and lumefantrine, effective against Plasmodium parasites causing malaria.
• The innovation addresses a key treatment gap; previously, infants used dosages meant for older children, posing risk of overdose.
• Clinical trials conducted in 8 African nations: Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda.
• Child-friendly features: dissolves easily (even in breast milk), and has a sweet cherry flavor to improve compliance in infants.
• Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, mainly P. falciparum and P. vivax, transmitted via female Anopheles mosquitoes.
  • Not contagious, but transmissible through infected blood or needles.
  • Symptoms: fever, chills, headache; severe cases can cause seizures, jaundice, or death.
  • Early diagnosis and treatment are vital, especially in infants with undeveloped immunity.
• Coartem Baby represents a significant step in reducing infant malaria mortality in endemic regions.