Chinese medicine
Artemisinin is a sesquiterpene lactone, a natural compound which is exclusively synthesized in the Artemisia annua plant. Artemisinin has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fevers and malaria. Malaria is an infectious disease which is endemic in 109 countries, caused by protozoan parasites of the Plasmodium genus, transmitted by mosquitoes. The growing resistance of the Plasmodium parasite to other anti-malarial treatments (such as quinine and its derivatives) meant other strategies were required to reduce the incidence of malaria.