Product Description
Product Name:
Artesunate / Pyronaridine granules
Contains:
Artesunate 20mg/ Pyronaridine 60mg
Package:
3 grams for each bag, 27 bags / box
Indication
- For the treatment of uncomplicated malaria infection caused by P. falciparum or P. vivax in children and infants weighing 5 kg to under 20 kg
Dosing:
- Once daily for 3 days
Reference:
Pyronaridine-artesunate granules versus artemether-lumefantrine crushed tablets in children with Plasmodium falciparum malaria: a randomized controlled trial
Artesunate is a medication used to treat malaria. The intravenous form is preferred to quinine for severe malaria. Often it is used as part of combination therapy, such as artesunate plus mefloquine. It is not used for the prevention of malaria. Artesunate can be given by injection into a vein, injection into a muscle, by mouth, and by rectum.
The most common side effects include kidney failure requiring dialysis, hemoglobinuria (the presence of hemoglobin in urine) and jaundice.
It is generally well tolerated. Side effects may include a slow heartbeat, allergic reaction, dizziness, and low white blood cell levels. During pregnancy it appears to be a safer option, even though animal studies have found harm to the baby. Use is likely fine during breastfeeding. It is in the artemisinin class of medication.
Artesunate was developed by Liu Xu in 1977. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. It was approved for medical use in the United States in May 2020. It is in the class of medications known as artemisinins, which are derivatives from “qinghao,” or sweet wormwood plant (Artemisia annua).
Pyronaridine is an antimalarial drug. It was first made in 1970 and has been in clinical use in China since the 1980s.
In a small (n=88) malaria study in Camaroon, pyronaridine had a 100% cure rate, compared with 60% for chloroquine.
It is one of the components of the artemisinin combination therapy pyronaridine/artesunate .
Pyronaridin has also been studied as a potential anticancer drug, and treatment for Ebola. The combination of pyronaridine and artesunate has been evaluated to have a synergistic effect of stronger antiviral effect and less toxicity. The combination of pyronaridine and artesunate is being studied as a possible treatment for moderate to severe SARS-COV-2.