artemisinin + piperaquine + primaquine

Artemisinin + piperaquine + primaquine is a triple-combination antimalarial therapy developed by the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and Artepharm. This combination is the cornerstone of the Fast Elimination of Malaria by Source Control (FEMSE) strategy, which emphasizes mass drug administration (MDA) to rapidly clear the parasite reservoir in human populations. Artemisinin provides rapid reduction of the parasite biomass by generating reactive free radicals upon activation by heme within the parasite's food vacuole. Piperaquine, a long-acting bisquinoline, offers a prolonged post-treatment prophylactic effect by inhibiting heme detoxification into non-toxic hemozoin. Primaquine, an 8-aminoquinoline, is included to target the liver stages (hypnozoites) of *Plasmodium vivax* and the gametocytes of *Plasmodium falciparum*, thereby preventing clinical relapse and blocking human-to-mosquito transmission. This regimen has been successfully deployed in large-scale elimination projects, most notably in the Comoros, where it led to a dramatic reduction in malaria prevalence.

Brand names

Artequick

Other names

Artequick-PArtemisinin-Piperaquine-Primaquine