ABSTRACT
Changshan, an ancient traditional Chinese febrifuge, was developed by the Chinese government early in the 20th century as a national antimalarial drug. Despite its efficacy as an antimalarial, Changshan was abandoned less than three decades later. The process by which Changshan was modernised, the associated problems with compliance resulting from side effects not present in the traditional formulation, and the subsequent abandonment of a viable antimalarial constitute an important historical case study in the development of antimalarial drugs from traditional medicine.
