Piperaquine/dihydroartemisinin
Malaria treatment drug
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Piperaquine/dihydroartemisinin (DHA/PPQ), sold under the brand name Eurartesim among others, is a fixed dose combination medication used in the treatment of malaria.[2] It is a combination of piperaquine and dihydroartemisinin.[2] Specifically it is used for malaria of the P. falciparum and P. vivax types.[3][4] It is taken by mouth.[3]
| Combination of | |
|---|---|
| Piperaquine | Antimalarial |
| Dihydroartemisinin | Antimalarial |
| Clinical data | |
| Trade names | DuoCotecxin, Artekin, Eurartesim, others |
| Other names | Dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine phosphate |
| Routes of administration | By mouth |
| Legal status | |
| Legal status |
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| Identifiers | |
| CAS Number | |
Side effects are uncommon.[4] Concerns include the possibility of QT prolongation.[4] Versions are available for use in children.[3] Use in early pregnancy is not recommended.[4] The two medications work by different mechanisms.[4]
Piperaquine/dihydroartemisinin was approved for medical use in Europe in 2011.[3] The combination is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[2][5] It is commercially available in Africa and Asia.[3] It has been used to treat more than 4.5 million people as of 2017.[3]
Pharmacology
Dihydroartemisinin (also known as dihydroqinghaosu, artenimol or DHA) is a drug used to treat malaria. Dihydroartemisinin is the active metabolite of all artemisinin compounds (artemisinin, artesunate, artemether, etc.) and is also available as a drug in itself. It is a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin and is widely used as an intermediate in the preparation of other artemisinin-derived antimalarial drugs.
Piperaquine is an antimalarial drug, a bisquinoline first made in the 1960s, and used extensively in China and Indochina as prophylaxis and treatment during the next 20 years. Usage declined in the 1980s as piperaquine-resistant strains of P. falciparum arose and artemisinin-based antimalarials became available. The combination dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine is an effective antimalarial that is used widely around the world. In South-East Asia, where resistance has emerged towards both artemisinin and piperaquine, the combination is being trialed with a third drug, namely mefloquine.[6]
Piperaquine is characterized by slow absorption and a long biological half-life, making it a good partner drug with artemisinin derivatives which are fast acting but have a short biological half-life.
Society and culture
This product is available in the market of several countries:
- Artekin (Holleykin)
- Eurartesim (Alfasigma; by Good Manufacturing Practices)
- DHP Frimal (Mersifarma TM)
- Diphos (Genix Pharma)
- Timequin (SAMI Pharma )
- Duocotecxin (Holley Pharm)
- Malacur (Elder Pharmaceuticals for SALVAT Laboratories)
- Ridmal (Ajanta Pharma Limited)
