Clinical medicine profile
Halofantrine
Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class)
- Route
- See product SmPC
- Schedule
- POM
- ATC
- Not assigned
- PPB status
- registered
This profile needs source confirmation
Some sections contain general class guidance rather than medicine-specific evidence. Confirm prescribing decisions against the current SmPC and Kenya STG/EML.
Safety essentials
The information most likely to change a prescribing or dispensing decision.
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to the active substance or excipients.
- Additional absolute contraindications are indication- and product-specific — consult SmPC.
Precautions
- Excreted in milk, prolonged QTC interval, not used in cerebral malaria in com-bination with other medicine or clinical conditions, which prolong QTC interval, or patient with ventricular dysrrythmias.
- Consider ECG to exclude above conditions.
- Renal and hepatic impairment, evidence of increased CNS side effects when associated with either therapeutic or prophylactic use of chloroquine or sulphadoxine / pyrimethamine.
Dosing matrix
Population and organ-function guidance, shown together for faster comparison.
Over 40kg: 500mg six hourly intervals [to 6 tabs]. Under 40kg: 8mg/kg six hourly intervals [to 24mg/kg]. For patients with no previous exposure to malaria a second course is repeated after one week.
See label paediatric section if present; otherwise use paediatric formulary — do not extrapolate adult doses.
Review renal impairment dosing; many agents need CrCl/eGFR adjustment.
- CrCl 0–120: Confirm renal dosing in product SmPC / primary label.
Review hepatic impairment dosing; monitor LFTs if agent is hepatically cleared or hepatotoxic.
Use, effects & interactions
Indications
- Therapeutic use is agent- and indication-specific within the class (Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class)).
- Use according to culture results, national guidelines (Kenya STG/EML where applicable) and the current product SmPC.
- Acute P. falciparum and P. vivax.
Adverse effects
- Skin rashes, pruritus, GI disturbances, severe ventricular dysrrhythmias that may be associated with death, this risk is increased by the use of high doses or concomitant or recent use of mefloquine.
- AV conduction disorders or unexplained syncopal attacks.
Drug interactions
Open multi-drug checker ↗- Professional use: confirm indication, dose, duration, monitoring and patient counselling points against current Kenya STG / EML and the product SmPC.
- Document allergy status and key interactions.
Mechanism & disposition
Thought to inhibit heme poly- merase activity resulting in accumulation of free heme, which is toxic to the parasites.
Read complete mechanism
Thought to inhibit heme poly- merase activity resulting in accumulation of free heme, which is toxic to the parasites. Mechanism is agent-specific. At receptor, enzyme, ion channel, transporter or microbial target level, the drug alters a physiological or pathological pathway to produce its therapeutic effect. Confirm precise molecular mechanism in current SmPC / pharmacology reference for this INN before high-stakes decisions.
Product-specific
Product-specific
See product SmPC
are product-specific. Consider food effects, protein binding, hepatic CYP/UGT
when adjusting for organ impairment, age and drug interactions. Verify parameters in the current SmPC.
Pregnancy, lactation & diet
Use only if potential benefit justifies potential risk; prefer agents with better reproductive data when alternatives exist.
Assess infant risk vs benefit of maternal therapy; prefer agents with lactation data.
Brands & loaded prices
| Brand | Manufacturer | Pack | Observed price |
|---|---|---|---|
| No reviewed brand listings are linked yet. | |||
Sources & review state
Decision support only. Confirm patient-specific decisions against the current product SmPC, Kenya STG/EML, and professional judgement.