The History of Artemisinin

Killing more than a million people a year--mostly children and pregnant women--malaria continues as a world health issue. The most effective treatment of the dreaded parasite-based disease comes from a compound derived from the wormwood plant called artemisinin. There is proof of artemisinin use over 2,000 years ago to treat malaria in China, nonetheless, it has only been in recent years this miracle compound became primary to restoring malaria patients to health worldwide. The most deadly form of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, causing 9 out of 10 deaths has little chance of surviving under the treatment of artemisinin compounds. Earmarked for Africa where the largest numbers of cases exist, most of the 1 million prescribed doses of artemisinin compounds continue to save lives.

Chinese Connection

• During an excavation of the Han Dynasty Mawangdui Tomb in 1972, Chinese soldiers leading archaeologists found over 200 treatments for malaria written on ancient texts. While testing the list, a recipe for a tea dating back to 168 B.C. proved Artemisinin (called qinghaosu in China) was the only effective treatment in rapidly eliminating the malaria parasite in patients.

Viet Nam and China

• During the Vietnam War, North Vietnam leader Ho Chi Minh sought the assistance of China's Mao Tse Tung to provide a curative for his malaria-ravaged jungle fighters. Already in the midst of exploring China's wealth of traditional herbal pharmacopoeia, the Chinese government had the unearthed ancient recipe made into tea and sent to the Viet Cong soldiers, who quickly regained their health.

World Health Organizations

• Endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2004, the artemisinin-based therapies for malaria became the WHO first-line malaria treatment in 2005. Provided with a US $42.6 million grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, OneWorld Health is working for the first time with Biomedical Research (QB3) with synthetic chemistry to produce an arteminsinin derivative so emerging third world nations can afford this lifesaving compound.

Recipes Against Resistance

• Requesting in 2006 discontinuing manufacturing and selling all malaria therapies using only artemisinin, WHO hoped to initiate a worldwide effort to successfully prevent the malaria parasite from becoming resistant to the healing effect of artemisinin. Because of the virulent nature of the malaria parasite, historically, it has evolved so new strains of this killer became immune to any treatment because of overuse of medications. By mixing artemisinin with existing treatment compounds the parasite may stay in check.

Area Developing Resistance

• An area of Cambodia and the Thailand border now has a strain of the malaria parasite resistant to the artemisinin compound treatment, making this best front-line medicine in danger of no longer being effective. According to the New England Journal of Medicine July 2009, this new strain of the malaria parasite reportedly takes longer to react to the prevalent artemisinin treatment than normal. Nonetheless, when used in combination with other drugs, those infected are still being cured.