title: Safety and tolerability of elubaquine (bulaquine, CDRI 80/53) for treatment of Plasmidium vivax malaria in Thailand.
abstract: We conducted a study to compare the safety and tolerability of anti-relapse drugs elubaquine and primaquine against Plasmodium vivax malaria. After standard therapy with chloroquine, 30 mg/kg given over 3 days, 141 patients with P. vivax infection were randomized to receive primaquine or elubaquine. The 2 treatment regimens were primaquine 30 mg once daily for 7 days (group A, n = 71), and elubaquine 25 mg once daily for 7 days (group B, n = 70). All patients cleared parasitemia within 7 days after chloroquine treatment. Among patients treated with primaquine, one patient relapsed on day 26; no relapse occurred with elubaquine treatement. Both drugs were well tolerated. Adverse effects occurred only in patients with G6PD deficiency who were treated with primaquine (group A, n = 4), whose mean hematocrit fell significantly on days 7, 8 and 9 (P = 0.015, 0.027, and 0.048, respectively). No significant change in hematocrit was observed in patients with G6PD deficiency who were treated with elubaquine (group B, n = 3) or in patients with normal G6PD. In conclusion, elubaquine, as anti-relapse therapy for P. vivax malaria, was as safe and well tolerated as primaquine and did not cause clinically significant hemolysis.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Srivicha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krudsood
authors.forename: Polrat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wilairatana
authors.forename: Noppadon
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tangpukdee
authors.forename: Kobsiri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chalermrut
authors.forename: Siripun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srivilairit
authors.forename: Vipa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thanachartwet
authors.forename: Sant
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muangnoicharoen
authors.forename: Natthanej
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Luplertlop
authors.forename: Gary M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Brittenham
authors.forename: Sornchai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Looareesuwan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010966:Plasmodium vivax; D011319:Primaquine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013785:Thailand
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D002738:Chloroquine; D011319:Primaquine; C063469:bulaquine