Drugs. Reinventing an ancient cure for malaria

As drug resistance renders cheap antimalarials ineffective, a promising candidate has emerged from an overlooked source: Asia. Used as herbal remedies in China for 2000 years, artemisinins haven't yet been approved for clinical use in Western countries. But abundant clinical data show that a water-soluble form called artesunate knocks down the number of parasites in the blood faster than any other drug does.