Tafenoquine Applications in Plasmodium Vivax Malaria Management

Tafenoquine is a long-acting 8-aminoquinoline antimalarial developed to address the relapsing nature of Plasmodium vivax infections by targeting dormant liver forms known as hypnozoites. Its single-dose regimen for radical cure offers a compelling alternative to the 14-day primaquine course, simplifying adherence and broadening access. The drug’s extended half-life supports both antirelapse therapy and chemoprophylaxis, reducing the frequency of administration for travellers and endemic-area populations. Tafenoquine must be administered with a blood schizonticidal partner—historically chloroquine and, in regions with resistance, artemisinin-based combination therapies—to clear erythrocytic stages while preventing relapse. Pre-treatment screening for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency is essential to avoid haemolytic risk. Recent evidence has refined dosing strategies, characterised pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles, and demonstrated transmission-blocking potential against mosquito stages of other Plasmodium species, underscoring its role in integrated malaria control and elimination programmes.   

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Tafenoquine Applications in Plasmodium Vivax Malaria Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in tafenoquine applications in plasmodium vivax malaria management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Hypnozoite: dormant hepatic stage of P. vivax responsible for relapse weeks to months after primary infection.

Radical cure: treatment that eliminates both blood‐stage parasites and hepatic hypnozoites to prevent relapse.

Pharmacokinetics: study of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion determining dosage regimens.

Blood schizonticide: antimalarial agent active against asexual erythrocytic parasite stages to clear acute infection.

CYP2D6 metabolism: enzymatic activation pathway for 8-aminoquinolines influencing efficacy and risk of therapeutic failure.

References

1. Tafenoquine co-administered with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine for the radical cure of Plasmodium vivax malaria (INSPECTOR): a randomised, placebo-controlled, efficacy and safety study. The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2023).
2. Pharmacokinetic Models of Tafenoquine: Insights for Optimal Malaria Treatment Strategies. Pharmaceutics (2024).
3. The human malaria-Aotus monkey model: a historical perspective in antimalarial chemotherapy research at the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory-Panama. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (2024).
4. Guidance for Using Tafenoquine for Prevention and Antirelapse Therapy for Malaria — United States, 2019. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2019).
5. Single low-dose tafenoquine combined with dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine to reduce Plasmodium falciparum transmission in Ouelessebougou, Mali: a phase 2, single-blind, randomised clinical trial. The Lancet Microbe (2022).