An antimalarial compound developed by scientists at the University of Dundee has been hailed as a major advance in the global battle against malaria.The molecule, known as cabamiquine, offers the advantage of being administered as a single dose.Findings from the research, now published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, show that the new drug-like compound shows genuine promise as a future malaria medicine.The discovery arrives at a critical juncture where existing antimalarial treatments face mounting resistance worldwide.Malaria is transmitted to humans through certain mosquito species | GETTYMalaria, a potentially fatal illness transmitted to humans through certain mosquito species, remains concentrated in tropical regions. The global burden in 2024 was staggering: an estimated 282 million infections and approximately 610,000 deaths, figures that have been climbing partly because of increasing resistance to current antimalarial medicines.Against this sobering backdrop, the early-stage clinical trial of cabamiquine has delivered encouraging results. When given alongside pyronaridine, an established antimalarial drug, the compound proved both effective and well-tolerated in adult and adolescent patients.The safety profile was described as favourable, bolstering the case for advancing this combination therapy into larger-scale trials. Researchers indicated that further studies involving children are also warranted, a crucial next step given malaria’s disproportionate impact on younger populations.Dr Beatriz Baragana, who was part of the Dundee team behind the discovery, said: “This is an exciting step forward for a compound which has great potential to simplify dosing regimens for malaria, a disease which causes hundreds of thousands of deaths every year.”She added: “We are delighted to see how the compound, when administered with pyronaridine, is progressing into a potential malaria medicine, giving hope to the millions of people affected by malaria every year.”Professor Ian Gilbert, who leads the university’s drug discovery unit, emphasised the practical significance of single-dose delivery. He said: “The benefits of this compound are not only that it looks to be effective, with a good benefit/risk profile, but it can also be delivered in a single dose, which is an important factor when you are treating a disease that occurs commonly in areas where consistent delivery of healthcare can be challenging.”The development could help simplify dosing regimens for malaria | GETTYThe Dundee team’s work was backed both financially and scientifically by Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), the global organisation that now plans to take the cabamiquine-pyronaridine combination forward for further development.Paul Willis, MMV’s vice president of drug discovery and preclinical safety, said: “Novel treatment and prevention regimens are urgently needed with simplified dosing to enable effective case management and to support long-term malaria control and elimination goals.”