Novartis Gets Swiss Approval For First Malaria Drug For Babies

Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, approved Novartis AG’s (NYSE:NVS) Coartem (artemether-lumefantrine) Baby on Tuesday. This marks the first malaria medicine specifically approved for newborns and young infants.

The new treatment, also known as Riamet Baby in some countries, was developed in collaboration with Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV).

Until now, there has been no approved malaria treatment for infants weighing less than 4.5 kilograms. They have instead been treated with formulations intended for use in older children, which may increase the risk of overdose and toxicity, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. Malaria vaccines are also not approved for the youngest babies.

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Malaria, caused by a parasite and spread to humans by some mosquitoes, ...