Halofantrine microbiology

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Microbiology[edit | edit source]

Halofantrine is a blood schizonticidal antimalarial agent with no apparent action on the sporozoite, gametocyte or hepatic stages of the infection. The exact mechanism of its action is unknown. The primary metabolite, n-desbutyl halofantrine, and the parent compound are equally active in vitro.

While in vitro studies indicate that there may be cross-resistance between halofantrine and mefloquine, the clinical data do not support this view. No significant correlation between halofantrine and mefloquine resistance was observed in clinical trials.

Clinical Trials[edit | edit source]

In controlled clinical trials involving 90 non-immune patients with malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum, treatment with Halfan (500 mg every 6 hours for three doses on days 0 and 7) had a cure rate of 99%. Patients were followed for 28 days or more after initiation of treatment.

In trials involving 583 acute malaria patients, the majority of whom were semi-immune, treatment with Halfan (500 mg every 6 hours for three doses) produced a cure rate of 90% against Plasmodium falciparum infection (n=512), and a cure rate of 99% against Plasmodium vivax (n=71).^[1]

References[edit | edit source]

Adapted from the FDA Package Insert.