With the threat of drug-resistant malaria looming large, there is a need to develop new innovative medicines to fill the gap in the malaria arsenal should it take hold. MMV is leading the search for next-generation medicines to do just that. The most promising compound is an ozonide: OZ439, which is in Phase II of clinical trials and could also provide the long-sought one-dose cure.

Scientific wisdom in the anti-infective field, however, has taught us that one drug alone is much more vulnerable to the development of resistance than a combination therapy. With this firmly in mind, one of the next pressing questions MMV must resolve is with which drug to partner OZ439?

With presentations from the MMV scientific team as well as from Prof. Nick White of the Mahidol–Oxford Research Unit, who works at the heart of the region resistance is reported to be emerging; the meeting raised some critical issues and provided possible answers amidst lively debate.

See the meeting agenda.

Following the meeting, MMV updated its 2005 position paper. Read the updated document: Strategy for the selection and early development of combination drugs for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria