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Chloroquine (CQ)
Chloroquine (CQ) is a Quinoline antimalarial Small molecule drug developed by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It is currently FDA-approved for Malaria (treatment and prophylaxis), Lupus erythematosus, Rheumatoid arthritis. Also known as: CQ, Aralen.
Chloroquine is a quinoline antimalarial that accumulates in parasitic food vacuoles and inhibits heme polymerization, causing toxic heme accumulation and parasite death.
Chloroquine is a quinoline antimalarial that accumulates in parasitic food vacuoles and inhibits heme polymerization, causing toxic heme accumulation and parasite death. Used for Malaria (treatment and prophylaxis), Lupus erythematosus, Rheumatoid arthritis.
At a glance
| Generic name | Chloroquine (CQ) |
|---|---|
| Also known as | CQ, Aralen |
| Sponsor | London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine |
| Drug class | Quinoline antimalarial |
| Target | Heme; Toll-like receptors (immunomodulatory effects) |
| Modality | Small molecule |
| Therapeutic area | Infectious Disease; Rheumatology |
| Phase | FDA-approved |
Mechanism of action
Chloroquine enters the parasitic food vacuole and binds to heme, preventing its detoxification into hemozoin. This causes accumulation of toxic heme that damages the parasite's cell membrane and leads to cell lysis. The drug also has immunomodulatory properties, including inhibition of toll-like receptor signaling and reduction of inflammatory cytokine production.
Approved indications
- Malaria (treatment and prophylaxis)
- Lupus erythematosus
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Amebiasis
Common side effects
- Nausea and gastrointestinal disturbance
- Headache
- Pruritus
- Retinopathy (with prolonged use)
- Cardiomyopathy (rare, with high doses)
- Agranulocytosis
Key clinical trials
- This is a Clinical Study to Assess Whether the Combination of SJ733 and Tafenoquine Will be a Safe and Rapidly Acting Anti-malarial for the Radical Cure of P. Vivax Malaria (PHASE2)
- Preventing Malaria in School Children to Protect the Whole Community in Rural Blantyre District, Malawi (PHASE4)
- FocaL Mass Drug Administration for Vivax Malaria Elimination (PHASE3)
- An Interventional Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Tafenoquine (TQ) and Primaquine (PQ) When Either Are Taken Together With Chloroquine (CQ) for the Treatment of P. Vivax Malaria in Indian Participants Aged 2 Years and Older (PHASE3)
- ACT vs CQ With Tafenoquine for P. Vivax Mono-infection (PHASE4)
- Efficacy and Safety of Sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine and Amodiaquine in Ghanaian Pregnant Women (PHASE3)
- Saved From COVID-19 - Chloroquine (CQ) Prophylaxis for Health Care Workers at Risk for COVID (PHASE2)
- Safety, Tolerability, Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy of PfSPZ Vaccine and PfSPZ-CVac in Indonesian Adults Against Naturally-Transmitted Malaria (PHASE2)
Primary sources
Every claim on this page is sourced from regulatory or scientific primary sources. See our editorial policy for full methodology.
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| ClinicalTrials.gov | Trial enrolment, design, endpoints, results |
Competitive intelligence
For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:
- Chloroquine (CQ) CI brief — competitive landscape report
- Chloroquine (CQ) updates RSS · CI watch RSS
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine portfolio CI
Frequently asked questions about Chloroquine (CQ)
What is Chloroquine (CQ)?
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Is Chloroquine (CQ) also known as anything else?
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Related
- Drug class: All Quinoline antimalarial drugs
- Target: All drugs targeting Heme; Toll-like receptors (immunomodulatory effects)
- Manufacturer: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine — full pipeline
- Therapeutic area: All drugs in Infectious Disease; Rheumatology
- Indication: Drugs for Malaria (treatment and prophylaxis)
- Indication: Drugs for Lupus erythematosus
- Indication: Drugs for Rheumatoid arthritis
- Also known as: CQ, Aralen
Primary sources · FDA · ClinicalTrials.gov · EMA · SEC EDGAR · ChEMBL · Wikidata · full sourcing