New breakthrough in malaria treatment for newborn babies and young infants 

This week, Medecines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and pharmaceutical company Novartis announced a new breakthrough in malaria.

Novartis has received approval for the first malaria medicine for newborn babies and young infants. The positive decision from Swissmedic under a special global health initiative is now expected to lead to rapid approvals across eight African countries.

This is a significant development in the fight against malaria. Before this approval, there had been no approved malaria treatment for infants weighing less than 4.5 kilograms, leaving a treatment gap. They have instead been treated with formulations intended for use in older children, which may increase the risk of overdose and toxicity. Malaria vaccines are also not approved for the youngest babies. 

30 million babies are born in areas of malaria risk in Africa every year, with one large survey across West Africa reporting infections ranging between 3.4% and 18.4% in infants younger than 6 months old.   

“Malaria is one of the world’s deadliest diseases, particularly among children. But with the right resources and focus, it can be eliminated,”

Martin Fitchet, CEO of MMV

At Target Malaria, we salute this excellent news for families and hope for continued investment in malaria research to continue finding new angles to fight malaria, especially in those areas that have been blind spots, such as pregnant women and infants.  

Our vision is to one day live in a world free of malaria, and by creating new tools to fight the disease, that vision is within reach.