USE OF TAFENOQUINE IN ANTIMALARIAL TREATMENT: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Besides the intensification of control measures, Plasmodium vivax poses a major challenge for malaria elimination efforts. This type of malaria parasite causes a persistent liver stage where the liver suffers the action of the hypnozoites, a form of the P. vivax that is very relevant at this stage of the infection and causes relapse of the disease and continued transmission. This literature review discusses an innovative treatment for malaria with tafenoquine (TQ), an 8-aminoquinoline synthetic primaquine analog that has been used in one dose for malaria relapse prevention and for prophylaxis due to its longer half-life, and its effects on the human body. Besides the use of tafenoquine, it was also necessary to discuss the Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, and the interaction of this enzyme with the 8-aminoquinolines, since both drugs may induce hemolytic anemia in patients with G6PD deficiency; therefore, the test to this deficiency is necessary before putting those patients under treatment with these drugs. The use of other drugs combined with tafenoquine was also reported. The drugs Primaquine, chloroquine, and other analogs, such as artemisinin and hybrids, were discussed in this article, along with their combined use and their greater or lesser help in the treatment.