World Health Organization Opposes Malaria Drug

WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) – The World Health Organization asked pharmaceutical companies on Thursday to end the marketing and sale of “single-drug” artemisinin malaria medicines, in order to prevent malaria parasites from developing resistance to the drug.he use of single-drug artemisinin treatment, or “monotherapy,” hastens development of resistance by weakening but not killing the parasite, WHO said in new malaria treatment guidelines.

“We request pharmaceutical companies to immediately stop marketing single-drug artemisinin tablets and instead market artemisinin combination therapies only,” WHO Director-General Dr. Lee Jong-wook said in a statement.

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