artemether + lumefantrine + imatinib mesylate

Artemether + lumefantrine + imatinib mesylate, often referred to by the acronym ALIM, is an experimental combination therapy being investigated for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. This regimen combines the current standard-of-care artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), artemether and lumefantrine, with imatinib mesylate, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor originally developed for oncology. Artemether and lumefantrine work synergistically to rapidly reduce parasite biomass and clear remaining parasites by targeting parasite calcium ATPases and inhibiting heme detoxification, respectively. Imatinib is added to this regimen to potentially accelerate parasite clearance and mitigate the spread of drug-resistant parasites by inhibiting host-cell signaling pathways, such as Abl kinase, which the malaria parasite exploits for survival and egress from red blood cells. The development of this combination is led by the Victoria Biomedical Research Institute.

Other names

Imatinib + Artemether/Lumefantrine