Dihydroartemisinin

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Dihydroartemesinin is a drug used to treat malaria. Dihydroartemesinin is the active metabolite of all artemesinin compounds (artemesinin, artesunate, artemether, etc.) and is also available as a drug in itself.

[edit] Dosing

Dihydroartemsinin is available as a fixed drug combination with piperaquine (each tablet contains 40 mg of dihydroartemisinin and 320 mg of piperaquine; Artekin® manufactured by Holleykin Pharmaceuticals).

The adult dose is 1.6/12.8 mg/kg per dose (rounded up or down to the nearest half tablet) given at 0 h, 8 h, 24 h, and 48 h. Alternatively, the same total dose may be given once daily for three days.^[1]

Dihydroartemsinin is also sold in Africa as Cotecxin in 60mg tablets, which is manufactured by Zhejiang Holley Nanhu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., in China.

[edit] References

1. ^ Ashley EA, McGready R, Hutagalung R, et al. (2005). "A randomized, controlled study of a simple, once-daily regimen of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine for the treatment of uncomplicated, multidrug-resistant falciparum malaria". Clin Infect Dis 41: 425–32.