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artemisinin (artemisinin, Mateon / ArtiShield / ARTIVeda)

✓ Approved

Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc. · therapeutic agent

What is artemisinin?

artemisinin is a therapeutic agent developed by Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc.. It is approved for therapeutic indications via oral (po).

Drug Profile

Brand Namesartemisinin, Mateon, ArtiShield, ARTIVeda
CompanyOncotelic Therapeutics, Inc.
RouteOral (PO)
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Oncotelic Therapeutics, Inc.

Therapeutic Indications

artemisinin is developed for 6 unique indications across 6 therapeutic areas.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
InvestigationsBody temperature increased✓ Approved
Hepatobiliary disordersHepatitis✓ Approved
General disorders and administration site conditionsPyrexia✓ Approved
Infections and infestationsCOVID-19Phase I
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disordersAcute respiratory distress syndromePhase I

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Related Research Articles

PubMedFrontiers in oncology2026-11-11

Exploring the potential mechanism of artemisinin against gastric cancer based on network pharmacology, machine learning and experimental validation.

Hu Chenchen C, Zhao Yu Y, Yun Minghui M, Shen Yu Y et al.

Artemisinin, a natural active component extracted from Artemisia annua, exhibits potential anti-gastric cancer activity; however, its specific targets and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Network pharmacology was used to predict the potential targets of artemisinin. Differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed to identify gastric cancer-related genes. Candidate targets of artemisinin against gastric cancer were obtained by intersecting the above datasets. Three machine learning algorithms, namely random forest, LASSO regression, and SVM-RFE, were further employed to screen hub targets, followed by molecular docking to evaluate the binding affinity between artemisinin and the hub targets. Finally, anti-gastric cancer effects and mechanisms were validated by in vitro experiments (CCK-8, EdU, colony formation, Transwell and Western blot). A total of 27 candidate targets of artemisinin against gastric cancer were identified. Cross-screening by the three machine learning algorithms ultimately identified TOP2A, CCNB2, and CCNA2 as hub targets. Molecular docking revealed low binding energies (all below -5.0 kcal/mol) between artemisinin and these three targets, suggesting potential binding affinity. In vitro experiments demonstrated that artemisinin significantly downregulated the mRNA expression levels of the three targets and suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells. Mechanistic investigation showed that artemisinin treatment decreased p-ERK levels, and the anti-gastric cancer effects of artemisinin were partially reversed by the ERK pathway activator C16-PAF. In vitro, artemisinin suppresses ERK/MAPK pathway activation and reduces the mRNA expression of cell cycle-related TOP2A, CCNB2 and CCNA2, leading to inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells.

PMID 43010992
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PubMedMalaria journal2026-11-10

Evaluation of adherence to WHO guidelines for prescription of artemisinin combination therapy (ACTs) and artesunate in Kilifi County, Kenya.

Ngala Jonathan Chome JC

Malaria is a vector-borne disease caused by a protozoan parasite in the genus Plasmodium. The parasite is transmitted by female mosquitoes in the genus Anopheles. The disease is common within the tropics, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The major early clinical features are fever accompanied by headache, joint pains, malaise, vomiting, and diarrhoea. These symptoms are some instances used as a diagnosis for malaria infection without confirmatory laboratory tests; followed by prescription of first-line antimalarials, mainly artemisinin combination therapy (ACTs). This trend of prescribing antimalarials to patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms without confirmatory laboratory tests is contrary to World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended guidelines. Such practices pose a great risk for suboptimal medication, development of resistance against the drugs, treatment failure, and increased morbidity and mortality. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate adherence to WHO-recommended guidelines for prescription of ACTs and artesunate. This was a cross-sectional study in four health facilities in Kilifi County for a period of one year. 9,940 participants consented to inclusion in the survey. Pre- and post-ACTs/artesunate prescription data was captured using standardized case record forms. Out of the 9,940 patients, 80.4% had confirmed malaria infections, out of which 60% (n = 4,795) were males. 48% (n = 3,836), of the malaria cases were from rural areas. 17% (n = 1,359), of the positive cases were severe malaria, with 92% (n = 1,251), being in children under the age of 15 years old. Adherence to WHO guidelines for diagnosis of malaria was, at 99% (9,841/9,940), with Rapid diagnostic test as the most used technique, at 74% (n = 7,356). Adherence to WHO guidelines for prescription of ACTs was, at 48% (3,184/6,633), with Coartem as the most prescribed ACT, at 98% (n = 6,436). Adherence to WHO guidelines for prescription and administration of artesunate was, at 82% (1,114/1,359). Artesunate injection was administered to all cases of severe malaria. Adherence to WHO guidelines for prescription of ACTs and artesunate in Kilifi County had improved substantially, although there exists a room for improvement, especially on instructions on how to take the ACT medications following hospital discharge. Therefore, stakeholders, especially the county's ministry of health, should put more effort into further improvement through seminars, short training courses, and workshops to reduce the disease burden and prevent the likelihood of the development of ACTs and artesunate resistance by malaria parasites in the region.

PMID 43004342
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PubMedAdvanced healthcare materials2026-11-09

Artemisinin-Loaded Core-Shell Microspheres Modulate Histone Lactylation to Remodel the Microenvironment for Cartilage Protection in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Meng Shijie S, Li Jianxin J, Luo Yuyang Y, Liu Yisi Y et al.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) involves persistent inflammation and metabolic dysregulation that jointly drive cartilage damage. Although lactate accumulates in arthritic joints, the role of lactate-induced histone lactylation in cartilage progenitor cell (CPC) dysfunction remains unclear. Here, we developed an injectable, tissue-adhesive core-shell microsphere (ART@PLGA@GH-A) for sustained intra-articular delivery of artemisinin (ART). CUT&Tag sequencing identified a pathological lactate-H4K16la-Ccnb2 axis in RA-derived CPCs, in which lactate accumulation enhanced H4K16la enrichment at the Ccnb2 promoter, promoting mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, and extracellular matrix degradation. ART@PLGA@GH-A suppressed H4K16la deposition at the Ccnb2 locus and more effectively inhibited CPC senescence and glycolytic lactate production than ART-loaded hydrogel microspheres (ART@GH). Mechanistically, ART@PLGA@GH-A promoted macrophage polarization from pro-inflammatory M1 toward anti-inflammatory M2, reduced intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, restored mitochondrial membrane potential and dynamics, enhanced chondrogenic markers (COL II, Aggrecan, and SOX9), and reduced matrix-degrading enzymes (MMP13 and ADAMTS5). In collagen-induced arthritis rats, a single intra-articular injection of ART@PLGA@GH-A reduced subchondral bone erosion and proteoglycan loss and improved hindlimb gait function, outperforming free ART and non-adhesive microspheres. Therefore, ART@PLGA@GH-A targets the lactate-dependent H4K16la-Ccnb2 axis and restores joint homeostasis, thereby achieving synergistic anti-inflammatory, anti-senescent, and chondroprotective effects and providing a clinically translatable local therapeutic strategy for RA.

PMID 43000693
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PubMedbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2026-11-08

Engineering the effector specificity of the macrolide-sensing transcription factor MphR for the detection of sesquiterpenes.

Oliverio Cassidy L CL, Meo Alissa M AM, Chen Stefanie S, Williams Gavin J GJ

Terpenes are a large, diverse class of natural products used as flavors, fragrances, pharmaceuticals, and more, yet obtaining them often requires either large quantities of biomass or complex chemical reactions. Directed evolution of key enzymes and pathways could improve biosynthetic yields, but most sesquiterpenes lack high-throughput screening methods to search large libraries of variants. To alleviate this bottleneck, we developed the first reported genetically encoded biosensor to detect four highly valuable sesquiterpenes: valencene, nootkatone, artemisinin, and cedrol. Starting with the macrolide transcription factor biosensor MphR, we screened a panel of mutants against the four sesquiterpenes, including MphR-13 (T17N/V18I/K21L/S106L/H147L/P161L), which readily detected all four sesquiterpenes. Computational modeling showed that the mutations reduced the size of the ligand-binding pocket compared with the wild type, which positively correlated with the biosensor's fluorescence output. Additionally, swapping the fluorescence reporter improved the sensor's response 15-20-fold, yielding a generalist sesquiterpene biosensor that can be further developed and applied to the directed evolution of sesquiterpene biosynthesis.

PMID 42995881
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PubMedOrganic letters2026-11-06

Tetracarboxyphenyl Iron Porphyrin as a Robust Aqueous Catalyst to Reduce Endoperoxides.

Zhou Yi Y, Yang Yidan Y, Sun Jiubo J, Zhang Chong-Jing CJ

We report a robust catalytic reduction of endoperoxides formed during isoluminol-based direct chemiluminescence by tetracarboxyphenyl iron porphyrin (FeTCPP). FeTCPP efficiently increased the detection sensitivity by 20-fold while saving 95% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) compared to the traditional heme catalyst. Furthermore, FeTCPP catalytically reduced the endoperoxide of artemisinin to unexpectedly generate a main product with the scaffold of artemisinin G.

PMID 42992740
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PubMedResearch square2026-11-06

Genetic background determines allele-specific Pfkelch13- mediated artemisinin tolerance and persistence in Plasmodium falciparum.

Ullah Imran I, Martin Morgan C MC, Ndiaye Daouda D, Volkman Sarah K SK et al.

Artemisinin-based combination therapies are the frontline treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria, but their efficacy is threatened by Artemisinin partial resistance (ARTR). ARTR in Plasmodium falciparum is mediated by Pfkelch13 (k13) mutations but remains rare in West Africa. A critical question is whether short-term drug survival intrinsically predicts long-term evolutionary persistence. Here, using CRISPR-Cas9 editing, and nanopore-assisted allele tracking in a contemporary Senegalese isolate, we evaluated ARTR receptivity using the ring-stage survival assay (RSA), a proxy for clinical resistance. We demonstrate that ARTR survival and drug-free persistence are biologically separable traits. While the WHO-validated Asian I543T mutation conferred the RSA phenotype, it was rapidly counter-selected during drug-free growth. In contrast, emerging African alleles (R561H, M579I) and a regional novel variant (C473S) establish stable resistance without a competitive penalty. These findings reveal that a parasite's genetic background acts as a strict evolutionary filter, uncoupling short-term tolerance from long-term persistence and establishing that genomic context determines allele-specific resistance trajectories.

PMID 42990760
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