Malaria kills more than half a million people a year, mostly children. Treatment requires repeated doses over time, a tall order for people who might have to travel many miles to reach a clinic, and in recent years, drug-resistant strains of the parasite have exploded. To help stem the tide, Dr. Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma, head of clinical operations at the Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL) in Gabon, and his colleagues came up with a daring new plan.

This year, Mombo-Ngoma led a trial of a new single-dose treatment containing four different drugs, called SPAP, that each attack the parasite from a different angle. The team reported in November that it is just as effective as prior treatments immediately, opening the door to reining in malaria’s evolution and saving lives. 

With plans for the treatment to be rolled out this year, Mombo-Ngoma expects it will act as a stop-gap until exciting new malaria therapies arrive.