Artequick Dose, Composition, Use, Side Effect

Artequick® is a fixed-dose combination of artemisinin and piperaquine per tablet. Primaquine is included in the formulation with the intent of eliminating the gametocytes of P. falciparum. This fixed-dose combination, administered as a single daily dose for two days.

Aetequick is made in China by Artepharm Co. Ltd., China. It is distributed in Nigeria by Trusted Pharmacy & Chemist of West Africa Limited, Kano.

Names Of The Drug

Generic Name

Artemisinin and Piperaquine tablets

Proprietary Name

* 阿特奎克 (in Chinese)

* Artequick in English language

* Phonetician in Chinese: Qinghaosu Paikui Pian

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Composition Of Artequick

The product is a fixed dose Artemisinin based Combination Therapy (ACT), and each tablet contains artemisinin 62.5 mg and piperaquine 375 mg.

Description

The product is a tablet coated with green film.

Pharmacology And Toxicology Of Artequick

The product is a drug to treat malaria, particularly drug-resistant falciparum malaria. It is well tolerated and has rapid action, high efficacy, low toxicity and offers a short course treatment. Using the product to treat falciparum malaria with 56-day follow-up, the results showed that the cure rate was >95%, the fever and parasite clearance time were 16-30 and 36-60 hours respectively.

The product also has a parasiticidal effect on plasmodium vivax in the intra erythrocytic stage. Artemisinin in Artequick tablets has a powerful and quick parasiticidal effect on those parasites in the intra erythrocytic stage. Moreover, its efficacy is much quicker than that of quinine, chloroquine and other non artemisinin antimalarial drugs.

It therefore relieves clinical symptoms much faster. This product has significant gametocidal effects on falciparum malaria thus interrupts the generation of gametocytes in bone marrow and reduces the transmission.

The resistance culture showed that the drug resistance to this product is hard to occur. Piperaquine is a 4-aminoquinoline compound. Studies of the pharmacodynamic and toxicological properties in rodent malaria showed that the efficacy and curative index of piperaquine were 2.6 and 66 times higher than those of chloroquine.

Since 1978, piperaquine has been used widely to replace chloroquine to treat malaria in China and proven its higher therapeutic efficacy and lower side effects than those of chloroquine The results of acute toxicity tests in mice given the drug by intragastric administration showed that LD⁵⁰ of the product was 1062 5 mg/kg, and the toxicity of the combination of the two components was not potentiated but additive. Genetic toxicology tests showed that the product has no mutagenic effects.

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It was shown that artemisinin, one component of the product, has fetal toxicity in the 9-14 day pregnant mice, mainly, represented as an absorptive fetus. Taking this product consecutively with high dose would induce slight injury to the liver function and decrease reticulocyte count, but this change is reversible, and it can recover quickly after quitting the drug.

Pharmacokinetics Of Artequick

After taking orally, Artemisinin shows wide distribution, quick and complete absorption, rapid metabolism and excretion. The half-life of artemisinin is 16-26 hrs. Some metabolites which have lost their antimalarial activity can be detected in urine and feces 46 hours later after orally taking artemisinin. Piperaquine has a long half-life, with 9.5 days in mice and not less than 14 days in the blood.

Indications And Use Of Artequick

It is intended for the treatment of malaria attacks, specially for falciparum and vivax malaria

Dosage And Administration Of Artequick

For adults, 2 tablets at 0 hr and 2 tablets at 24 hrs with 4 tablets as total dosage or directed by the physician. For children, a two-dose regimen is recommended with 1 tablet to 2 tablets per dose, grouped as follows. The tablet may be broken and crushed before giving.

Dosage schedule by age groups;

≥16 years: 2 tablets daily for 2 days

11-15 years: 1½ tablets daily for 2 days

7 to 10 years: 1 tablet daily for 2 days

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Adverse Effects And Side Effect Of Artequick

The adverse effects are mainly gastrointestinal tract symptoms. The occurrence rate of nausea is 0%-5% and vomiting is 0%-2%. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, etc are observed occasionally.

Caution

Since long half-life of antimalarial is contained in this combination, patients with serious hepatic or renal dysfunctions are not advised to take it repeatedly within 15 days.

Administration For Pregnancy Of Artequick

The product should not be used in the first trimester of pregnancy. It is safe for use during lactation.

Overdose

The main symptoms of overdose include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue or numb feeling of the face. If it is the case, emetic and purgative agents can be used to accelerate the discharge of the drug.