Efficacy and safety of halofantrine in acute malaria

Clinical trial of halofantrine was conducted in 32 cases of acute malaria. Twenty four patients with P. vivax and eight patients with P. falciparum infection were treated with 3 doses of halofantrine (500 mg each) orally, after food, at intervals of 6 hours. Mean parasite clearance time of P. vivax was 57.75 h and for P falciparum 75 h and mean defervescence time was 31.08 h and 34 h respectively. Post treatment followup was for 28 days. Clinical symptoms related to malaria cleared within the first 48 h. Mild adverse reactions of abdominal pain in one patient and vomiting in one patient were encountered which did not require any treatment. Halofantrine was found to be very effective and free from significant adverse events when used for the treatment of acute malaria.