Clinical trials

TThis study evaluates the safety and effectiveness of pre-operative artesunate, given orally once a day for 14 days prior to surgery, in patients with Stage II/III colorectal cancer. Artesunate is an established antimalarial drug with an excellent safety profile. It is well tolerated, affordable, and widely available. Several laboratory studies and one small pilot clinical study in patients with colorectal cancer have shown that artesunate can reduce the proliferation and growth of cancer cells. One hundred patients diagnosed with Stage II/III operable colorectal cancer will be randomly allocated to receive oral artesunate 200 mg daily or a matching placebo for 14 days prior to surgery. Patients will then be followed closely for 5 years to determine whether pre-operative artesunate reduces the risk of cancer recurrence after surgery.

NeoART-CIN is a Phase II clinical study evaluating the safety and effectiveness of oral artesunate in patients with pre-cancerous cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN2/3), to investigate if a course of treatment with oral artesunate can reverse pre-cancerous changes in the cervix and prevent the development and progression of invasive cancer. Findings from this study will increase our understanding of the effects of artesunate on CIN2/3 and if confirmatory inform future clinical studies.