Background:

Artemisia Annua (Sweet Wormwood) is a shrubby perennial native to China. The leaf of the plant contains up to 0.04 percent Artemisinin. This herb has been used over the centuries by Chinese medical practitioners. Artemisinin came to the attention of the World Health Organization in the 1970s when Quinine lost efficacy against malaria.

Artemisinin is the only drug effective against malaria and hundreds of millions of doses are prescribed for that purpose every year. The artemisinin molecule has an affinity for iron, which the malarial parasite sequesters internally. Artemisinin enters the malarial parasite and combines with sequestered iron to create Reactive Oxygen Species, rupturing the parasite.

Like malarial parasites, cancer cells concentrate and sequester high levels of iron. Moreover cancer cells overexpress cell surface receptors for iron-containing compounds like ferritin and holotransferrin. Therefore, Artemisinin has a high affinity for cancer cells, and upon entering the cell combines with intercellular iron creating ROS-mediated apoptosis. Artemisinin is the only chemotherapeutic agent that lacks the tertiary amine necessary to usher the drug back out of the cell.  

This document is based on the research of Dr. Henry Lai and Dr. Narenda Singh at the University of Washington,and the medical practice of Dr. Ba Hoang of Vietnam and San Jose, California. There are a few points of divergence among experts studying Artemisinin, therefore more than one protocol is outlined below.

Some researchers believe that Artemisinin users experience autoinduction, whereby the body metabolizes the drug so rapidly that blood plasma levels of it drop. 

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=15676041 

For this reason we discontinue Artemisinin one or two days a week, however, eight days off may be necessary to completely clear artemisinin from blood plasma.  If diminished efficacy is noticed, a period of eight days off may restore artemisinin's original effectiveness.  Suggestion: use 15-25 mg/kg/day of DCA (sodium dichloroacetate) during the week off artemisinin.  DCA use causes build-up of metabolite 5-ALA (5-aminolevulinic acid), a heme precursor which artemisinin uses.  http://dca-information.pbworks.com/

PhytoArtemisinin may enhance efficacy of other artemisinin compounds. PhytoArtemisinin contains 700mg of Phytosaponin (Gleditsia Sinensis) and 200mg of Artemisinin per capsule. Phytosaponin can help artemisinin penetrate cell membranes and help to reduce tumor resistance to artemisinin in some cases. Phytosaponin also is active againt cancers and inflammatory diseases. 

http://www.allergyresearchgroup.com/proddesc/discuss/PhytoArtemisininPDFProductSheet040405.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12673105?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=2&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

Gleditsia as a COX-2 inhibitor

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19082515?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

Protocols:

Artemisinin and its semi-synthetic derivatives such as artemether and artesunate should be taken orally in plain yoghurt and/or full fat cottage cheese to improve absorption and prevent stomach upset. It should also be taken with Omega 3 (EPA/DHA, three grams each).  GLA also induces apoptosis and vitamin D3 is vital for immune function.  Artemether is toxic and dose should not exceed one milligram per kilogram of body weight, per day. Artemisinin must be taken on an empty stomach so the Artemisinin will enter the bloodstream and not bind with iron in the gut. The evening dose of Artemisinin is most important, as cancer is most active at night.  Must NOT be used within 2 months of radiation treatment because of risk of iron leakage.  Best to not have smoked within 6 months of artemisinin usage (according to Dr. Singh).

Protocol A:

Empty stomach, at least 30 minutes before breakfast, two capsules Super Artemisinin with 3 grams each of EPA/DHA.

Mid-day, away from artemisinin, take 1 gram of Vitamin C (NOT slow release).  Recirculates iron in the body.

At least 3.5 hours after the evening meal, Artemix plus two capsules Super Artemisinin. The dose of Artemix should be based on 1mg/kg body weight of the artemether component of the Artemix.

Protocol B:

Protocol C: 

Protocol D: 

Not described herein, however an injectable form of Artesunate is available from http://www.alldaychemist.com , in 60mg vials, approx. USD 7.00 per vial.