Polycystic ovary syndrome could be treated with a malaria drug

The malaria treatment artemisinin improved hormone levels and regulated menstrual cycles in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

medicine already used to treat malaria could also work as a treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

In a small trial of 19 women with PCOS, the widely used drug artemisinin improved the regularity of their menstrual cycles and lowered their testosterone, which is often too high in people with the condition.

While the root cause of PCOS is unclear, it involves imbalances in several hormones, including too much testosterone being made by the ovaries. This can lead to irregular menstrual cycles and infertility, as well as acne and excess body hair, among other symptoms.

Those affected also tend to be less sensitive to the sugar-regulating hormone insulin, which leads to weight gain, worsening the hormone imbalances.

At the moment, people with PCOS have their symptoms treated individually. For instance, they might have laser treatments to remove body hair or take the contraceptive pill to regularise menstruation.