Dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine
Dihydroartemisinin/Piperaquine is a drug mixture used to treat malaria.
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 synthesised 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. However, Chinese scientists have been studying whether piperaquine can still be used therapeutically in combination with artemisinin.
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.
This product is available in the market of several countries:
- Artekin (Holleykin)
- Eurartesim (Sigma Tau; by Good Manufacturing Practices)
- Diphos (Genix Pharma)
- Timequin (SAMI Pharma )
- Duocotecxin (Holley Pharm)
- Malacur ® (Elder Pharmaceuticals for SALVAT Laboratories)