Ipca Laboratories has commenced marketing of a fixed dose combination of oral artemether and lumefantrine tablets (Lumerax) in India. This is the first artmisinin derivates in combination therapy (ACT) launched in India.
Meanwhile, the company stopped the manufacturing of monotherapies, consisting of single ingredient oral artemisinin derivates as per appeal under WHO Global Malaria Programme, a company release stated.
Artemisinin and its derivatives remain the only hope in near future for managing rising incidence of P falciparum malaria. To preserve these life saving medicines, WHO has requested all organisation to stop manufacturing and marketing monotherapies consisting of single ingredients oral ACT which includes giving oral artermisinin derivatives in combination with drugs such as lumefantrine, sulphadoxine, pyrimethamine, amodiaquine and piperaquine. Giving artemisinin derivatives in combination with these drugs will prolong the usefulness of these life saving drugs.