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Seventy-five years of Resochin® in the fight against malaria

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Abstract

The four different forms of human malaria have threatened humanity since time immemorial and to this day, they exact a death toll of one to three million people annually. Synthetic anti-malarial agents have been in development since early 1900. Perhaps the most successful and widely used drug, Resochin® (chloroquine), was discovered 75 years ago; for a long time, it was the drug of choice and to this day, it is still used in many regions of the world as a reliable treatment against simpler forms of malaria. In regions where it has not been in use against malaria tropica for quite some time due to the development of resistances, it has regained some of its efficacy. This review traces the discovery and the mechanism of action of this substance, illustrates the significance of malaria today, and underlines the need for controlled and reliable therapeutic measures.

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Acknowledgements

We thank BAYER business services, corporate history & archives for the historical images 10–13.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bayer Vital GmbH, Kaiser Wilhelm Allee, 51368, Leverkusen, Germany

    Markus Jensen

  2. Institut für Parasitologie der, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Heinz Mehlhorn

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  1. Markus Jensen
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  2. Heinz Mehlhorn
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Correspondence to Heinz Mehlhorn.

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Jensen, M., Mehlhorn, H. Seventy-five years of Resochin® in the fight against malaria. Parasitol Res 105, 609–627 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-009-1524-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-009-1524-8

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