Artesunate is a widely prescribed drug used to treat severe malaria infections. It was developed in the mid 1970s, and is now on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.

It was originally derived from Artemisinin , a compound extracted from the Sweet Wormwood plant - which had been used as a herbal remedy for many years, especially in China.

The mechanism of action is unknown - it somehow disrupts essential biochemistry of the malaria parasite.

The drug was only approved in the US in 2020, and is now undergoing trials to determine its possible effectiveness in treating other diseases.

See : Wikipedia

Also see : Halofantrineplugin-autotooltip__plain plugin-autotooltip_bigHalofantrine

Halofantrine is a commonly prescribed drug used to treat severe malaria. It was first marketed in 1998, and was widely used - treating more than 20 million patients up to 2005. ( Source: Malaria Journal, 8: 289. )

It's sold under the brand names Halfan and others. It has a large range of adverse side effects - including severe interactions with other medicinal drugs, and with grapefruit juice. It's not currently licenced for use in the US or UK.