Pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative recently began rolling out ASAQ, the fixed-dose artemisinin-based combination drug to treat malaria, in West Africa and Kenya, Fortune/CNNMoney.com reports (Barclay, Fortune/CNNMoney.com, 2/25).

ASAQ was first launched in March 2007. It is composed of artemisinin and amodiaquine and is the first product resulting from the partnership between Sanofi and DNDi. A full course of ASAQ will be available for less than $1 for adults and 50 cents for children. To treat malaria, adults can take two ASAQ pills daily for three days, and children can take three smaller pills once daily (GlobalHealthReporting.org, 3/1/07).

The drug is pending registration in about 12 countries and does not have prequalification from the World Health Organization, which could delay its deployment, according to Fortune/CNNMoney.com. The drug's pill count is lower than Novartis' Coartem, which is the most widely available ACT, according to K.M. Bhatt, a professor of infectious and tropical diseases at the University of Nairobi. Bhatt said the smaller number of pills gives ASAQ an advantage over other treatments. She added that people are more likely to comply with the regimen, which minimizes the possibility of drug resistance (Fortune/CNNMoney.com, 2/25).