A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 3 studies. Tafenoquine in single doses of 300 to 600 mg and divided doses of 1800 mg to 3000 mg resulted in fewer relapses than no hypnozoite treatment over six months follow-up in adults. Higher doses were associated with fewer relapses. Two of the included trials compared four different dosing regimens of tafenoquine against the standard primaquine regimen of 15 mg/day for 14 days. A single tafenoquine dose of 600 mg may be more effective than primaquine in relation to relapses at six months follow-up.
The drug is untested in pregnancy, children and in G6PD-deficient people. The shorter treatment course is an important practical advantage in people who do not have G6PD deficiency, but the longer half-life may have more substantive consequences if given inadvertently to people with G6PD deficiency.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the drug tafenoquine in 2019 for prophylaxis of malariaand radical cure of Plasmodium vivax malaria.
Abstract and full text in Cochrane databasehttp://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010458.pub2/full (licence for full text required)
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