The invention relates to various compositions, including pharmaceutical compositions comprising an oxidation agent selected from sodium, potassium, magnesium or calcium hypochlorite, chlorite or chlorate, an artemisinin composition or a derivative or combination thereof as a primary active oxidising agent. The primary active oxidising agent is provided in a solvent or water-soluble or water-dispersible form to respectively enable release or generation within the solvent medium of a hypochlorite ion or hypochlorous acid, a chlorite ion or chlorous acid, a chlorate ion or chloric acid, neutral or ionic chlorine dioxide or other derivative thereof from the respective hypochlorite, chlorite, or chlorate. Oral or other body cavity dosage forms of the composition are described, which may be employed or administered to a warm-blooded mammalian subject to be treated for combatting pathogenic infections or invasions, more particularly represented by systemic pathogenic invasion of the subject. The composition would in general be admixed with an adequate quantity of one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients or carriers or other active agents sufficient to provide an admixed product having a concentration of admixed active agent which is sufficiently low so as to render such aqueous medium pharmaceutically acceptable to a patient in need of treatment. Unit dosage forms, which may include a carboxylic acid to encourage generation of chlorine dioxide or hypochlorous acid are described. Similarly, the composition may comprise a significant proportion of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a lesser amount of a chloride. Use of dosage forms of the composition are indicated to include treatment of patients suffering from the effects of various parasitic or viral infections or invasions.
