Treatment of falciparum malaria
The treatment of falciparum malaria, one of the world's major killing diseases, has been complicated by development of resistance to a number of antimalarial drugs, principally chloroquine. Quinine and quinidine are the only widely available drugs which are effective against chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria and can be given by injection. Three new synthetic antimalarial drugs, mefloquine, halofantrine, and enpiroline, are also effective against chloroquine-resistant strains, but rare cases of resistance to these drugs have already been encountered. Qinghaosu, an ancient Chinese herbal remedy, may prove to be the most rapidly effective drug for treating severe falciparum malaria.