Halofantrine
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Halofantrine is a drug used to treat malaria. It belongs to the phenanthrene class of compounds that includes quinine and lumefantrine. It is never used to prevent malaria. Its mode of action is unknown.
Category
US Brand Names
HALFAN
FDA Package Insert
Description | Clinical Pharmacology | Microbiology | Indications and Usage | Contraindications | Warnings and Precautions | Adverse Reactions | Drug Interactions | Overdosage | Clinical Studies | Dosage and Administration | How Supplied | Labels and Packages
Mechanism of Action
The mechanism of action of halofantrine is unknown. The absorption of halofantrine is erratic, but is increased when taken with fatty food. Because of fears of toxicity due to increased halofantrine blood levels, halofantrine should be taken on an empty stomach.
Plasma levels peak at 16 hours and the half-life of the drug is about 4 days.
Adverse reactions
Halofantrine can cause abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, rash, headache, itching and elevated liver enzymes. The most dangerous side effect is cardiac arrhythmias: halofantrine causes significant QT prolongation, and this effect is seen even at standard doses. The drug should therefore not be given to patients with cardiac conduction defects and should not be combined with mefloquine.