What are Atovaquone/Proguanil tablets and what are they used for?
Atovaquone/Proguanil Tablets (Generic Malarone) are available to buy from The Independent Pharmacy Online Doctor service, following a free consultation, to help prevent malaria. To find out more about malaria and see all the available treatments, see our Malaria page.
Atovaquone and proguanil are now available as a generic alternative to Malarone. They are still manufactured to the same high standards as Malarone but are available at a lower cost because the patent on the Malarone brand has now expired. They are taken once daily for malaria prophylaxis, 1-2 days before travel and continuing 1 week after returning.
Atovaquone oral suspension (generic Malarone) contains the active ingredients: Proguanil Hydrochloride 100 mg and Atovaquone 250mg. Its main use is for the prevention of malaria. Atovaquone/Proguanil Tablets are classified as a prescription-only-medicine (POM). Each box contains 12 film-coated tablets.
How does Atovaquone/Proguanil work?
Atovaquone and Proguanil are both anti-parasitic drugs, which are active against the malaria-causing plasmodium (malaria) parasite. Once the plasmodium parasite enters the bloodstream it begins to reproduce, which can result in malaria. Proguanil works by inhibiting the parasite’s ability to reproduce. It does this by blocking the action of an enzyme (dihydrofolate reductase) found inside the plasmodium parasite.
Atovaquone works in a similar way to Proguanil. It inhibits the production of new genetic material from inside the malaria parasite, resulting in an inability to reproduce. Both these ingredients combined work effectively together in a dual attack against malaria, helping to prevent an infection from taking hold.
Atovaquone/Proguanil are highly effective against the strains of malaria caused by the plasmodium falciparum parasite. This parasite is responsible for producing the most serious form of malaria (malignant malaria). For areas where the plasmodium falciparum parasite is predominant, Atovaquone/Proguanil will usually be the recommended choice of prevention.
Atovaquone vs. Chloroquine
Chloroquine has been used for some time to prevent malaria, but Atovaquone/Proguanil may be more suitable in areas where there is known resistance to this form of antimalarial medicine. Chloroquine-resistant malaria is now found in almost all malarious areas of the world, except for Haiti, certain rural parts of Mexico and Central America, and some areas of the Middle East. Another key difference is that Chloroquine is taken weekly, whereas Atovaquone is taken daily.
Does Atovaquone/Proguanil cause weight gain?
According to some reports, weight gain is one side effect that can occur among people who take Atovaquone/Proguanil tablets, particularly in females over 50 years old who have been taking this medication for less than one month.
Alternatives to Atovaquone/Proguanil
Atavaquone/Proguanil tablets are a generic brand of the more commonly known brand of antimalarial Malarone. These tablets are also available from The Independent Pharmacy under the brand name Maloff Protect.
Other popular types of antimalarial tablets include Lariam and Doxycycline. These contain different antiparasitic active ingredients to help prevent malaria whilst travelling abroad. All antimalarials can cause side effects in some people, so it is important that you look at all the available information surrounding these tablets before deciding on which one is right for you.
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