New Delhi: Drug major Cipla in partnership with Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) launched a drug used for the treatment of severe malaria in young children.

The company introduced 100 mg Artesunate Rectocaps/Rectal Artesunate Suppositories (RAS), a life-saving, pre-referral intervention for the management of malaria in children.

The company's RAS 100 mg was recently added to the Global Fund expert review panel's list of quality-assured medicines, while the process of WHO pre-qualification of this medicine moves through its final stages.

"Our endeavour is to make RAS 100 mg available in rural areas in Africa and to national community health programmes, notably with the support of international donors that have already pledged to procure Rectal Artesunate," Cipla MD and Global CEO Umang Vohra said in a statement.

The Mumbai-based company's product contains 100 mg of Artesunate and is indicated in children from 6 months to 6 years.

It was developed with the support of MMV (with UNITAID financing) and will now soon be available in four sub-Saharan countries.