Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38369604›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2024

Forensic investigation of falsified antimalarials using isotope ratio mass spectrometry: a pilot investigation.

Paul N Newton, Lesley A Chesson, Mayfong Mayxay, Arjen Dondorp, Patricia Tabernero, John D Howa, Thure E Cerling

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
3.3field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Three New Calcium Formate Reference Materials for δRapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Revealing the Stable δMolecular pharmaceutics · 2025
    Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 5 countries.

Paul N Newton *Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Research Unit (LOMWRU), Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR. paul.newton@tropmedres.ac.
Lesley A Chesson *IsoForensics, Inc, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Mayfong MayxayLao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Research Unit (LOMWRU), Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR.
Arjen DondorpCentre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Patricia TaberneroLao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Research Unit (LOMWRU), Microbiology Laboratory, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR.
John D HowaIsoForensics, Inc, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Thure E CerlingIsoForensics, Inc, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
IsoForensics · USInfectious Diseases Data Observatory · GBLao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit · LAMahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit · THUniversity of Health Sciences

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 202935/Z/16/Z and 106698/Z/14/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We explored whether isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) is useful to investigate the origin of falsified antimalarials. Forty-four falsified and genuine antimalarial samples (artesunate, artemether-lumefantrine, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and sulphamethopyrazine-pyrimethamine) were analyzed in bulk for carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and oxygen (O) element concentrations and stable isotope ratios. The insoluble fraction ("starch") was extracted from 26 samples and analyzed. Samples of known geographical origin maize, a common source of excipient starch, were used to produce a comparison dataset to predict starch source. In both an initial (n = 18) and a follow-on set of samples that contained/claimed to contain artesunate/artemether (n = 26), falsified antimalarials had a range of C concentrations less than genuine comparator antimalarials and δ

Indexed as

AntimalarialsArtemetherArtemether, Lumefantrine Drug CombinationArtesunateIsotopesMass SpectrometryPilot ProjectsStarchWaterAntimalarialsArtemetherArtemether, Lumefantrine Drug CombinationArtesunateIsotopesStarchWaterDrugsFalsified medicineForensic scienceIsotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS)Isotopic profilingMalariaMedicine qualityStable isotopeSubstandard medicine

Identifiers

PMID38369604
PMCPMC10874941
OpenAlexW4391921973

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.