Malaria: Confronting Challenges From Drug Discovery to Treatment

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ABSTRACT Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Malaria: Confronting Challenges From Drug Discovery to Treatment, organized by Drs. David Fidock, Kelly Chibale and Elizabeth Ashley. The conference will be held in Breckenridge, Colorado from April 10-13, 2022. This Keystone Symposia conference addresses the pressing need to accelerate the development of new antimalarials that can treat Plasmodium falciparum parasites, which have acquired resistance to existing first- line drugs. The conference is designed to review the recent innovations in antimalarial drug discovery, as well as examine preclinical and clinical models to test compounds in development. The program will explore the efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) across different endemic settings and discuss current approaches to reducing the disease burden. Other topics that will be covered include a review of the current status of antimalarial resistance, including mechanistic studies and how they inform our understanding of drug modes of action. Finally, there will be discussions on new medicines, prophylaxis, treatment, and transmission- blocking strategies. This conference will bring together experts in drug discovery and development, mechanistic studies into drug modes of action and mechanisms of resistance, and field-based clinician-investigators and modelers to update attendees on the multiple aspects required to proceed from drug discovery through to development. Participants will learn about the current status of ACT efficacy in the field and how to respond to challenges posed by the emergence of antimalarial resistance. This forum will allow scientists in basic or applied research to exchange knowledge and ideas with field-based researchers and clinicians. There is no other forum which addresses this niche in such a concentrated program. Finally, the opportunity for networking at this conference is invaluable to the field at this point. It is anticipated that participants will develop new collaborations that will help drive the field forward and overcome this battle of resistance to current malaria therapeutics.