Malaria drug discovered in Dundee takes major step towards becoming new treatment

A potentially groundbreaking malaria drug discovered by scientists in Dundee has taken a major step towards becoming a new treatment for the disease.

Cabamiquine, an antimalarial compound invented at the University of Dundee, has been shown to be effective and have a favourable safety profile during an early-stage clinical trial involving adults and adolescents in Africa.

The results mark an important milestone for the compound, which could eventually help simplify how malaria is treated and prevented – including the possibility of treatment being delivered in a single dose.

Drug originated in Dundee

Cabamiquine was discovered by scientists at the University of Dundee’s Drug Discovery Unit within the Faculty of Life Sciences, with scientific and financial support from Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV).

Dr Beatriz Baragana was among the Dundee scientists who discovered the compound alongside Professor Ian Gilbert and Professor Kevin Read.

Dr Baragana said: “This is an exciting step forward for a compound which has great potential to simplify dosing regimens for malaria, a disease which causes hundreds of thousands of deaths every year.

“All of the initial work that ultimately resulted in the discovery of cabamiquine was performed here in Dundee, with support and funding from Medicines for Malaria Venture.

“We are delighted to see how the compound, when administered with pyronaridine, is progressing into a potential malaria medicine, giving hope to the millions of people affected by malaria every year.”

Promising results from clinical trial

Cabamiquine was tested alongside pyronaridine, an existing antimalarial medicine, during a Phase II clinical trial.

Researchers found the combination had a promising benefit/risk profile among adults and adolescents, supporting its further development through larger clinical trials and studies involving children.

The findings have now been published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

The trial was conducted by pharmaceutical company Merck as part of the PAMAfrica consortium and was co-funded by the EDCTP2 Programme, supported by the European Union and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Medicines for Malaria Venture now intends to take the cabamiquine-pyronaridine combination forward for further development.

Potential for single-dose treatment

One of the most significant aspects of cabamiquine is its potential to simplify malaria treatment.

Professor Ian Gilbert, Head of the University of Dundee’s Drug Discovery Unit, said the compound could potentially be delivered as part of a single-dose treatment.

“The benefits of this compound are not only that it looks to be effective, with a good benefit/risk profile, but it can also be delivered in a single dose, which is an important factor when you are treating a disease that occurs commonly in areas where consistent delivery of healthcare can be challenging,” he said.

Simplifying treatment could be particularly valuable in areas where access to healthcare is limited or inconsistent.

Malaria remains one of the world’s major health challenges. An estimated 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths were recorded globally in 2024, with growing resistance to existing medicines adding to concerns about efforts to control the disease.

Paul Willis, Vice President of Drug Discovery and Preclinical Safety at Medicines for Malaria Venture, said new treatment and prevention options with simplified dosing are urgently needed to support malaria control and eventual elimination.

The University of Dundee’s Drug Discovery Unit works with partners around the world to transform biological research into potential new medicines addressing areas of significant unmet medical need.

Further trials will now determine whether a potential malaria medicine whose story began in a Dundee laboratory can progress towards wider use.