Tafenoquine is an 8-aminoquinoline

8-Aminoquinoline

8-Aminoquinoline is a form of aminoquinoline with an amine at the 8-position of quinoline.The 8-aminoquinoline family of drugs contains three members, primaquine, tafenoquine and pamaquine and are used in the treatment of malaria...

 drug manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...

 that is currently being investigated as a potential treatment for malaria, as well as for malaria prevention.

The main advantage of tafenoquine is that it has a long half-life and therefore does not need to be taken as frequently as primaquine

Primaquine

Primaquine is a medication used in the treatment of malaria and Pneumocystis pneumonia. It is a member of the 8-aminoquinoline group of drugs that includes tafenoquine and pamaquine.-Radical cure:...

. Like primaquine, tafenoquine causes haemolysis in people with G-6-PD deficiency

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency is an X-linked recessive hereditary disease characterised by abnormally low levels of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase , a metabolic enzyme involved in the pentose phosphate pathway, especially important in red blood cell metabolism. G6PD deficiency is...

.

A shorter regimen has also been described as an advantage.

The dose of tafenoquine has not been firmly established, but for the treatment of Plasmodium vivax

Plasmodium vivax

Plasmodium vivax is a protozoal parasite and a human pathogen. The most frequent and widely distributed cause of recurring malaria, P. vivax is one of the four species of malarial parasite that commonly infect humans. It is less virulent than Plasmodium falciparum, which is the deadliest of the...

malaria, a dose of 800 mg over three days has been used.