Chapter 5: The Medicinal Chemistry of Eradication: Hitting the Lifecycle where it Hurts.

Historically, antimalarial drug discovery efforts have predominantly focused on curing patients by delivering new medicines that kill the asexual blood stages of the infection. Within an eradication agenda curing patients is only the start, however. Blocking transmission of the parasite from infected humans to the mosquito and vice versa, and thus disrupting the parasite lifecycle, will become a critical need. Whilst insecticides, bed nets and vaccines can all play a part in the prevention of disease and blocking of transmission, new medicines are urgently required that act beyond the blood stages. Prosecuting drug discovery projects in this arena is a developing paradigm made feasible only due to the ongoing advances in technology and understanding. Interestingly, the parasite numbers outside the asexual blood stages are significantly lower and offer compelling targets for intervention. This chapter addresses the medicinal chemistry of eradication: hitting the lifecycle where it hurts.