SRI InternationalJul 2 2024 Researchers in SRI's Pharmaceutical Sciences Lab are working on an affordable, shelf-stable anti-malarial drug formulation that could provide months of protection against the mosquito-borne disease with just a single injection, which means that individuals would no longer have to worry about missing a dose. Additionally, it has a low propensity for resistance and can be effective where drug resistance exists.
In a paper published in the European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shankar and her colleagues demonstrated that their novel injectable formulation could slowly release the anti-malarial drug ELQ-331 into the bloodstream. The formulation maintained high enough concentrations of the drug to act as a long-term preventative against malaria parasites.
Related Stories"It was basically impossible to administer and sustain its effectiveness for a long period," Shankar said. "My group's expertise is in targeting drugs efficiently. We developed a formulation that allowed this challenging molecule to be given in an injectable form and to be available in circulation for a sustained period.