New malaria drug could be a life-saver as the standard drug shows signs of weakness

New malaria drug could be a life-saver as the standard drug shows signs of weakness

Jonathan Lambert

November 12, 2025 / 1:59 pm

At the turn of the millennium, a new class of drugs derived from ancient Chinese herbal medicine revolutionized malaria care. Artemisinin's, as they're called, are based on extracts from the sweet wormwood plant. They arrived just as the drugs used since the 1970s were becoming useless for many, as the parasite that causes malaria evolved resistance.

"The deaths we saw in the late 1990s, the early 2000s — like 2 million a year — that was a direct result of drug failure," says George Jagoe , executive vice president of access and product management at Medicines for Malaria Venture, a non-profit. "No one ever wants to be behind the 8-ball again."

Artemisin