Comparison of the cardiac effects of the antimalarials co-artemether and halofantrine in healthy participants.

Co-artemether (Coartem, Riamet) is a tablet containing 20 mg artemether and 120 mg lumefantrine for treatment of falciparum malaria. Lumefantrine has some chemical similarities to halofantrine (Halfan), an antimalarial known for QTc prolongation. Effects on the QTc interval of fed single oral doses of 500 mg halofantrine and 80/480 mg co-artemether were compared in 13 healthy males in a randomized double-blind crossover study.