Promising single-dose malaria treatment advances toward pan-African clinical trial
• DZIF project aims to overcome major barriers to malaria control.
• Study principal investigator Prof. Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma named to TIME100 Health 2026.
Researchers at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) have developed a promising single-dose malaria treatment that could help address growing drug resistance and simplify treatment for patients. The four-drug combination treatment, known as SPAP, is now being prepared for large-scale clinical testing across Africa. Prof. Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma, who was named to the 2026 TIME100 Health list in recognition of his contributions to global health research, is co-leading the project.
Despite major progress in recent decades, malaria continues to cause hundreds of thousands of deaths every year, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. Drug resistance is increasing, and many patients struggle to complete treatment regimens that require medication over several days. While new antimalarial drugs are being developed, it may take years before they become widely available.
To address these challenges, researchers supported by DZIF are investigating how to combine existing medicines more effectively. They have developed SPAP, a new single-dose combination therapy based on the four already approved antimalarial drugs, sulfadoxine, pyrimethamine, artesunate and pyronaridine.
Results from a clinical trial conducted in Gabon suggest that SPAP could significantly improve malaria treatment. By targeting the malaria parasite through multiple mechanisms, SPAP has the potential to overcome two major barriers to malaria control: increasing drug resistance and poor adherence to multi-day treatment schedules.
"Efforts are underway to develop next-generation antimalarial medicines, but it will take many years for them to reach the market," explains Prof. Peter Kremsner, a world-renowned malaria researcher at University Hospital Tübingen, regarding the objective of the study. "It is paramount to establish a regimen for an optimal use of combinations of existing medicines to cover this period."
Next step: a pan-African clinical trial
To validate the promising findings of the previous study, the researchers are planning a large, multi-country clinical trial in Africa to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of SPAP under real-world conditions. The potential of SPAP has also been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has included the therapy on its list of priority malaria medicines under development. Production of fixed-dose SPAP tablets for the pan-African clinical study is expected to begin this year. If the clinical trial confirms these results, SPAP could be a significant advancement in malaria treatment in sub-Saharan Africa, offering a simpler, more effective therapy.
"This study addresses one of the most pressing challenges in malaria treatment: maintaining effectiveness while reducing the risk of resistance development," says co-project leader Prof. Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma of the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM). "A single-dose regimen could considerably simplify treatment and improve access for patients in endemic regions," Mombo-Ngoma, who is also a group leader at the Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL) in Gabon, adds. CERMEL is one of four African Partner Institutions with which DZIF scientists already have long-standing collaborations.
"The strength of this project lies in the close collaboration between research institutions across Africa and Europe," says Dr. Oumou Maïga Ascofaré, a group leader at BNITM and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) in Ghana and the third principal investigator (PI) behind the pan-African clinical study. "Together, we aim to generate evidence that can support future malaria treatment strategies where they are needed most."
The pan-African clinical trial is receiving significant support from the DZIF. All three principal investigators are scientists in the DZIF research area Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma named to TIME100 Health 2026
The international visibility of this work is reflected in a recent honor for one of its lead investigators. Prof. Mombo-Ngoma was named to the TIME100 Health 2026 list, which recognizes the 100 most influential individuals shaping the future of health worldwide.
Through this award, TIME not only highlights individual leadership, but also emphasizes the critical importance of translating biomedical research into sustainable health improvements for populations worldwide. This recognition underscores the value of international research partnerships in addressing some of the world's most pressing health challenges.
"I am deeply honored to be included in the TIME100 Health list," says Prof. Mombo-Ngoma. "This recognition reflects the efforts of many colleagues and partners in Africa and Europe who are committed to reducing the burden of neglected infectious diseases. Our work is driven by the belief that scientific excellence must translate into real health benefits for communities that need it most."
Prof. Mombo-Ngoma is an internationally recognized expert in clinical and implementation research on poverty-related infectious diseases. He leads the Drug Implementation Research Group at BNITM in Hamburg and the Medicines for Poverty-Related Infectious Diseases and Implementation Research Group at CERMEL, an African partner institution of DZIF, and holds a joint professorship with the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). His research focuses on developing and evaluating new treatments for malaria, schistosomiasis, and other infectious diseases that disproportionately affect women, children, and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.
In addition to leading multinational clinical trials, Prof. Mombo-Ngoma is committed to strengthening research capacity in Africa and improving maternal and child health through evidence-based interventions. His work unites research institutions across Africa and Europe to accelerate the development and implementation of new health solutions.
The complete TIME100 Health 2026 list can be found at time.com/time100health. The text portrait about Prof. Mombo-Ngoma can be found here.
Source: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) press release on the TIME100 Health 2026 award.
