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artesunate
Indications: malaria*
* 1st line treatment for severe malaria in U.S. [2]
Dosage:
1) oral therapy for uncomplicated malaria
a) in combination with mefloquine 25 mg/kg
- 10-12 mg/kg given in divided doses over 3-5 days
- 4 mg/kg for 3 days
- 4 mg/kg, followed by 1.5 mg/kg for 5 days
b) used alone
- 10 to 12 mg/kg given in divided doses over 7 days
- 4 mg/kg, followed by
- 2 mg/kg on days 2 & 3 & 1 mg/kf on days 4-7
2) parenteral therapy for severe disease
- 2.4 mg/kg IV or IM, followed by
- 1.2 mg/kg & 12 & 24 h, then
- 1.2 mg/kg QD
Pharmacokinetics: most rapidly-acting antimalarial agent
Adverse effects:
1) remarkably few
2) neurotoxicity reported in animals
Mechanism of action:
- derivative of Chinese drug ginghao
Interactions
drug interactions
drug adverse effects of antimalarials
Related
malaria
General
amebicide
antimalarial
Database Correlations
PUBCHEM correlations
References
- Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 14th ed.
Fauci et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1998, pg 1186-87
- CDC News Release. March 28, 2018
CDC: Artesunate Now First-Line Treatment for Severe Malaria in the
United States.
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2019/s0328-artesunate-first-line-treatment.html
CDC's malaria hotline (770-488-7788) to obtain artesunate