Halofantrine (Oral)

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Apr 5, 2022.

Chemical Class: Phenanthrenemethanol

Uses for halofantrine

Halofantrine belongs to a group of medicines known as antimalarials. It is used to treat malaria, a red blood cell infection transmitted by the bite of a mosquito.

Malaria transmission occurs in large areas of Central and South America, Hispaniola, sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania. Country-specific information on malaria can be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or from the CDC's web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbk.

Halofantrine may cause serious side effects. Therefore, it usually is used to treat serious malaria infections in areas where it is known that other medicines may not work.

Halofantrine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before using halofantrine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For halofantrine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to halofantrine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Although there is no specific information comparing use of halofantrine in children with use in other age groups, halofantrine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults.

Geriatric

Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information comparing use of halofantrine in the elderly with use in other age groups.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking halofantrine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using halofantrine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

• Aurothioglucose
• Bepridil
• Cisapride
• Dronedarone
• Ketoconazole
• Levoketoconazole
• Levomethadyl
• Mesoridazine
• Pimozide
• Piperaquine
• Posaconazole
• Saquinavir
• Sparfloxacin
• Terfenadine
• Thioridazine
• Ziprasidone