Switzerland Clears First Malaria Medicine for Small Babies

Switzerland’s medical authority, Swissmedic, has approved a new malaria medicine specially made for small infants. The medicine, created by Novartis, was approved on July 9, 2025, and is meant for babies weighing between 2 and 5 kilograms. This step is important because malaria causes many child deaths, especially in Africa.

A Big Step for Infant Health

The medicine is made by Novartis, a pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland. It is the first malaria drug approved for very young infants, making it a major step in protecting the youngest and most vulnerable children. The approval was given under a fast-track process by Swissmedic, done in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO). This special process helps speed up medicine access for developing countries.

Why It Matters for Africa

In 2023, malaria killed an estimated 597,000 people worldwide, and 95% of these deaths were in Africa. Most of the victims were children under five. Although the disease is more common in children aged 3 to 6 months, infants also need safe treatment options. Until now, older children’s medicine had to be carefully adjusted for infants, which experts called a “suboptimal” solution.

Expert Views and Company Plan

Quique Bassat, a malaria expert at ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health), said this drug is both safe and effective. He believes it will help treat infants in a safer and easier way.

Ruairidh Villar, spokesperson for Novartis, said that eight African countries were part of the drug’s review and are expected to approve it within the next 90 days. Novartis plans to offer the medicine mostly at no profit in countries where malaria is common.