Table 2

Drugs for which currently recommended anti-malarial regimens maybe inadequate in important patient groups.

Drug

Dose

Patient group

Comment

Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine

2.5/20 mg/kg/day for 3 days

All

The current adult DHA dose of 120 mg may be too low. The piperaquine dose may be too low in children

Sulphadoxine -pyrimethamine

1.25/25 mg/kg

Children, pregnant women

Higher doses have not been evaluated

Atovaquone-proguanil

8/20 mg/kg for 3 days

Pregnant women

Higher doses have not been evaluated

Artemether-lumefantrine

1.5/9 mg/kg for 3 days with fat

Pregnant women

Hyperparasitaemic patients

Lumefantrine absorption is dose limited. Longer courses have not been evaluated in pregnancy

Artesunate

Oral 2 mg/kg/day 7 days

2.4 mg/kg i.v.

Pregnant women

Higher doses have not been evaluated in pregnancy

Artemether

Oral 2 mg/kg/day 7 days

3.2 mg/kg i.m.

Pregnant women

Higher doses have not been evaluated in pregnancy

The efficacy of three day artemisinin-combination regimens in hyperparasitaemia is uncertain. Longer regimens may be necessary

White et al. Malaria Journal 2009 8:253   doi:10.1186/1475-2875-8-253