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Tafenoquine plus DHA-Piperaquine
This combination uses tafenoquine to eliminate dormant malaria parasites in the liver and piperaquine (in DHA-piperaquine) to kill active blood-stage parasites, providing both curative and preventive antimalarial activity.
This combination uses tafenoquine to eliminate dormant malaria parasites in the liver and piperaquine (in DHA-piperaquine) to kill active blood-stage parasites, providing both curative and preventive antimalarial activity. Used for Plasmodium vivax malaria treatment and relapse prevention, Plasmodium ovale malaria treatment and relapse prevention.
At a glance
| Generic name | Tafenoquine plus DHA-Piperaquine |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Menzies School of Health Research |
| Drug class | Antimalarial combination |
| Target | Plasmodium hypnozoites (tafenoquine); Plasmodium blood-stage parasites (DHA-piperaquine) |
| Modality | Small molecule |
| Therapeutic area | Infectious Disease |
| Phase | FDA-approved |
Mechanism of action
Tafenoquine is an 8-aminoquinoline that targets hypnozoites (dormant liver forms) of Plasmodium vivax and P. ovale, preventing relapse. DHA-piperaquine is an artemisinin-based combination therapy that rapidly eliminates circulating parasites through multiple mechanisms including oxidative stress and heme polymerization inhibition. Together, they provide complete parasite clearance and relapse prevention.
Approved indications
- Plasmodium vivax malaria treatment and relapse prevention
- Plasmodium ovale malaria treatment and relapse prevention
Common side effects
- Hemolysis (in G6PD-deficient patients)
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Headache
- Dizziness
Key clinical trials
- Tafenoquine and ACTs (TADORE- Plus) (PHASE4)
- Investigating the Pharmacology of Tafenoquine in Papua New Guinean Children With Uncomplicated Malaria (PHASE4)
- ACT vs CQ With Tafenoquine for P. Vivax Mono-infection (PHASE4)
- Efficacy and Safety Study of Tafenoquine (TQ) Co-administered With Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PQP) for the Radical Cure of Plasmodium Vivax (P. Vivax) Malaria (PHASE3)
- A Study to Evaluate the Pharmacokinetics of a Single Dose of Tafenoquine Co-administered With Either Artemether + Lumefantrine or Dihydroartemisinin + Piperaquine Tetraphosphate (PHASE1)
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:
- Tafenoquine plus DHA-Piperaquine CI brief — competitive landscape report
- Tafenoquine plus DHA-Piperaquine updates RSS · CI watch RSS
- Menzies School of Health Research portfolio CI