Volume 4, Number 1—March 1998
Synopsis
Proteases of Malaria Parasites: New Targets for Chemotherapy
Table 2
New antimalarial drugs
Drug | Role | Best Feature(s) | Limitations |
---|---|---|---|
Halofantrine | TX of Pf malaria; not approved for CP | Usually effective against R Pf malaria | Variable bioavailability, cardiac toxicity |
Artemisinin and related compoundsa | TX of Pf malaria | Rapidly acting; effective against multidrug-R strains | Recurrence after TX fairly common |
Atovaquone | ? TX of Pf malaria; ? CP (probably in combination with proguanil) | Limited toxicity | Limited studies so far show frequent recurrence after TX |
Pyronaridinea | ? TX of Pf malaria | Effective against R strains | Studies limited to date |
Desferrioxamine | ? TX of severe Pf malaria | Well tolerated when used for iron overload | Studies limited to date |
Azithromycin | ? CP | Limited toxicity | Studies limited to date |
For abbreviations, see Table 1, footnote a.
aNot available in the United States.