Also called Arteether and more soluble forms called Artesunate. An antimalarial drug derived from artemisinin. Artemisinin is produced from the Chinese herbal drug Qinghaosu. It is used for rapid clearance of susceptible peripheral parasites, especially in the treatment of severe malaria, due to Plasmodium falciparum.
n. the active ingredient of qinghaosu, a Chinese herbal medicine prepared from a species of wormwood (Artemisia annua) and long used for treating malaria. Derivatives of artemisinin (including artesunate and artemether) have been developed for the treatment of malignant (falciparum) malaria; they act by killing the asexual stages of the parasite (see Plasmodium) and are used in combination with other antimalarial drugs. In the UK, for example, artemether is available in combination with lumefantrine.... artemisinin
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