A new look at an old drug: artemesinin and qinghaosu

It is said that William Withering's discovery of digitalis arose out of curiosity engendered during a stage-coach journey, by witnessing an old woman collecting foxgloves by the side of the road. Whilst we are not aware of an analogous stroke of genius reported from ancient China, the story of qinghaosu has certain parallels. Just as foxgloves had been used traditionally for centuries to treat 'afflictions of the heart', the plant Artemesia annua has been used as a treatment for fever in China for almost two thousand years. Artemesia annua, also known as 'sweet wormwood', is found in many parts of the world, but it was not until the early 1970s that Chinese scientists recognized its potential for treating malaria and isolated the active principle, artemesinin or qinghaosu. This paper describes the evidence for the efficacy of this drug and some of its derivatives in the treatment of malaria and the potential of these drugs for the standard management of malaria in Papua New Guinea and elsewhere.