Details

Titel

Artemether-lumefantrine (Coartem) for treatment of malaria

Ist Teil von

• The Medical letter on drugs and therapeutics (English ed.), 2009-09, Vol.51 (1321), p.75

Ort / Verlag

United States: Medical Letter, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2009

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

•   The Food and Drug Administration has approved artemether-lumefantrine for oral treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. It is not approved for prophylaxis. Artemether-lumefantrine is the first artemisinin-based drug approved for use in the US. Artemisinins are Chinese herbal products used worldwide to treat malaria. Both artemether and lumefantrine inhibit nucleic acid and protein biosynthesis. In the erythrocytic stages of P. falciparum, artemether acts rapidly to reduce the number of parasites. Lumefantrine, which is longer acting than artemether, reduces the number of residual parasites. Both are less effective against P. vivax. Reduced susceptibility to artesunate, characterized by slow parasite clearance in vivo, has been reported in western Cambodia.