The World Health Organization predicted demand for artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), the most effective antimalarial medicines available, would top 7 million treatment courses this year and orders would reach at least 130 million courses in 2006.

WHO made the forecast on June 7 at an international conference in Tanzania.

Artemisnin is the only new chemical entity which China enjoys the independent IPR and is recognized internationally. 51 countries and regions have adopted drugs containing artemismin as the first-line treatment for malaria to replace chloroquine and other malaria drugs which were resisted by malaria parasite.

WHO's data unveiled at the conference showed demand for ACTs rose to 30 million treatment courses last year from 2 million courses in 2003.

By People's Daily Online