Advancement of chimeric hybrid drugs to cure malaria infection: An overview with special emphasis on endoperoxide pharmacophores

Emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum resistant to artemisinin-based combination therapy has led to a situation of haste in the scientific and pharmaceutical communities. Sincere efforts are redirected towards finding alternative chemotherapeutic agents that are capable of combating multidrug-resistant parasite strains. Extensive research yielded the concept of “Chimeric Bitherapy (CB)” which involves the linking of two molecules with individual pharmacological activity and exhibit dual mode of action into a single hybrid molecule. Current research in this field seems to endorse hybrid molecules as the next-generation antimalarial drugs and are more effective compared to the multi-component drugs because of the lower occurrence of drug-drug adverse effects. This review is an attempt to congregate complete survey on endoperoxide based hybrid antiplasmodial molecules that will give glimpse on the future directions for successful development and discovery of useful antimalarial hybrid drugs.