The increasing resistance and lack of new effective therapeutics for Plasmodium vivax malaria constitutes a major unmet medical need. Malaria is one of the world’s most devastating diseases and P. vivax is the most widespread of the four human malaria species, resulting in around 70 – 80 million cases annually. P. vivax accounts for 65% of all malaria in Asia and South America and is becoming increasingly resistant to malaria drugs. Although, P. falciparum is the most deadly species and the subject of most malaria-related research, P. vivax malaria, despite being generally nonfatal, exerts a huge economic burden in already desperately poor societies, in which it is endemic. The last major line of defense in treating malaria is artemisinin an extract of the Wormwood plant that has long been used as an antimalarial in traditional medicine. New approaches are desperately needed and links to organizations such as Gates, MMV and NITD outline some of the ongoing efforts to remedy this lack of new therapeutic directions. However, much much more is needed and I am leading an effort to try to get funding to pursue what I think could be an exciting new avenue of research. If you are interested in helping with funds, contacts, etc please email me.
