Gametocytocidal activity of the antimalarial alpha/beta arteether against Plasmodium cynomolgi B.

A new sesquiterpene lactone alpha/beta arteether (a 30:70 mixture of enantiomers), which possesses very high blood schizontocidal activity, has been evaluated for gametocytocidal/sporontocidal action against Plasmodium cynomolgi B infection in the rhesus monkey. This paper reports gametocytocidal action of this new antimalarial drug at 2.5-5 mg/kg (single im dose) against P. cynomologi B as shown by the complete absence of mosquito infectivity. No sporontocidal action was demonstrable in the vector at a dose of up to 20-50 mg/kg im.