Artemisinin: current status

The compounds derived from the Chinese medicinal plant qinghao (Artemisia annua) are the most rapidly acting of all antimalarial drugs. They are effective when given parenterally, orally or by suppository. No serious adverse effect has yet been reported in humans. The artemisinin derivatives already have an established role in the treatment of multi-drug resistant falciparum malaria, but their wider use will depend on the results of current mortality and toxicity studies.