Dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine

Dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine (DHA/PPQ) is a fixed dose combination medication used in the treatment of malaria. It is a combination of dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine. Specifically it is used for malaria of the P. falciparum and P. vivax types. It is taken by mouth. Dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine (DHA/PPQ) is a fixed dose combination medication used in the treatment of malaria. It is a combination of dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine. Specifically it is used for malaria of the P. falciparum and P. vivax types. It is taken by mouth. Side effects are uncommon. Concerns include the possibility of QT prolongation. Versions are available for use in children. Use in early pregnancy is not recommended. The two medications work by different mechanisms. Dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine was approved for medical use in Europe in 2011. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. While it was available for about 6 USD per treatment course, efforts are underway as of 2010 to bring the price down one dollar per course. It is commercially available in Africa and Asia. It has been used to treat more than 4.5 million people as of 2017. 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 made 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. The combination dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine is an effective antimalarial that is used widely around the world. In South-East Asia, where resistance has emerged towards both artemisinin and piperaquine, the combination is being trialed with a third drug, namely mefloquine.