Artemether

Semisynthetic derivatives of artemisinin act far faster than older antimalarials, and artemether is one of the principal members of that group. Its endoperoxide bridge is activated inside the parasite, generating reactive free radicals that damage parasite proteins and membranes and produce a rapid fall in parasitaemia. That speed comes with a short duration of action, which is why the compound is deployed within combination regimens: a longer-acting partner drug clears residual parasites and reduces the selection pressure that drives artemisinin resistance. The molecule is a small molecule of formula C16H26O5 with a molecular weight near 298.4 g/mol. It is an approved agent that has completed the final phase of clinical development.

SMILES

CO[C@H]1O[C@@H]2O[C@@]3(C)CC[C@H]4[C@H](C)CC[C@@H]([C@H]1C)[C@@]24OO3

InChI

InChI=1S/C16H26O5/c1-9-5-6-12-10(2)13(17-4)18-14-16(12)11(9)7-8-15(3,19-14)20-21-16/h9-14H,5-8H2,1-4H3/t9-,10-,11+,12+,13+,14-,15-,16-/m1/s1