A requiem for chloroquine

The arrival of chloroquine resistance in malaria parasites ended the reign of the best and most affordable antimalarial drug ever. The resurgence of malaria in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is nothing short of a humanitarian disaster. In this Perspective, Hastings and colleagues explore new findings (Sidhu et al.) that reveal how chloroquine resistance evolved. The new work may shed light on appropriate antimalarial drug combinations that do not exhibit cross-resistance, in this way delaying the emergence of resistance to new frontline drugs.