Drug updated on 3/28/2024
| Dosage Form | Tablet (oral; 150 mg) |
| Drug Class | Antimalarials |
| Ongoing and Completed Studies | ClinicalTrials.gov |
Indication
- Indicated for the radical cure (prevention of relapse) of Plasmodium vivax malaria in patients aged 16 years and older who are receiving appropriate antimalarial therapy for acute P. vivax infection.
Summary
- Tafenoquine (Krintafel) is indicated for the radical cure of Plasmodium vivax malaria in patients aged 16 years and older who are receiving appropriate antimalarial therapy for acute P. vivax infection.
- The drug has been evaluated in several studies, showing promising performance with high sensitivity and specificity ranging mostly from 72% to 100%, particularly when used as a point-of-care test for Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, a condition that can cause complications during treatment with antimalarial drugs like Tafenoquine.
- In comparison to Primaquine, another antimalarial drug, Tafenoquine may be more effective at preventing relapses of P.vivax malaria over six months follow-up period according to some randomized controlled trials.
- For short-term travellers exposed to malaria risk, loading dose of tafenoquine alone was found equally effective as chemoprophylaxis schedules of tafenoquine or mefloquine with maintenance doses; this could potentially improve compliance due its single-dose regimen compared to the standard multi-day dosing schedule required by other treatments such as Primaquine.
- A total number of eight systematic reviews/meta-analyses were reviewed which included data on safety and efficacy outcomes related specifically to use cases involving prevention or treatment of Plasmodium vivax infections using Krintefel (Tafenonique).
- While it appears safe among those without G6PD deficiency based on current evidence available from these documents, further research is needed regarding its use in diverse traveller populations including pregnant women and children where it remains untested currently due potential risks associated with long half-life if given inadvertently people having G6PD deficiency condition.
Product Monograph / Prescribing Information
| Document Title | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Krintafel (tafenoquine) Prescribing Information. | 2023 | GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC |
Systematic Reviews / Meta-Analyses
Clinical Practice Guidelines
| Document Title | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tafenoquine for the radical cure and prevention of malaria: the importance of testing for G6PD deficiency. | 2020 | The Medical Journal of Australia |
| Guidance for Using Tafenoquine for Prevention and Antirelapse Therapy for Malaria - United States, 2019. | 2019 | Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report |