Paediatric formulations

Developing products to address unmet needs

MMV is dedicated to developing new medicines for children and pregnant women, who are at heightened risk of dying from malaria.

Developing better medicines for children

MMV has long recognized that developing better medicines for children helps address the most vulnerable patient population at greatest risk of dying from malaria. In 2019 children under 5 represented 67% of lives lost from the disease. 

Pyramax® granules

Shin Poong

Product category

  • 3-day cure, artemisinin-based combination therapy (pyronaridine-artesunate)
Therapeutic indication

  • For the treatment of uncomplicated malaria infection caused by P. falciparum or P. vivax in children and infants weighing 5 kg to under 20 kg
Dosing

  • Once-daily for 3 days
Efficacy

  • 28-day PCR-corrected ACPR* >97%

  • 42-day PCR-corrected ACPR* 90%–95%
Key features
  • Only artemisinin-based combination therapy approved by a stringent regulatory authority for both P. falciparum and P. vivax (blood-stage)
  • No food restrictions
  • 2-year shelf life
  • Child-friendly granules
Challenges
  • Country order fulfilment by major procurement bodies
Status
  • Included in WHO Essential Medicines List for children. Positive opinion from EMA (Article 58). Cross-listed on WHO list of prequalified medicines. WHO Guidelines for Malaria now consider pyronaridine-artesunate to be a safe and efficacious treatment for uncomplicated malaria.
  • Approved in 19 countries
  • Included in 10 national treatment guidelines
Next milestone
  • Formal inclusion in WHO Malaria Treatment Guidelines
  • Continued commercial introduction in malaria-endemic countries
  • Approval of 30-month shelf life
Previously

  • Development project team led by University of Iowa
MMV Project Director

  • Adam Aspinall

* ACPR = adequate clinical and parasitological response 

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