Artemether/Lumefantrine Oral: Malaria Dosing Guide
Co-artemether guidance for uncomplicated malaria and completion treatment after severe malaria, with weight-based 3-day dosing.
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Source reviewed
source date listed on the source page
Guide category
Oral drugs
Safety boundary
Prescription medicine information for clinician-guided use.
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Therapeutic action
Antimalarial.
Indications
- Treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria.
- Treatment of uncomplicated malaria due to other Plasmodium species, when chloroquine cannot be used.
- Completion treatment following parenteral therapy for severe malaria.
Forms and strengths
Co-formulated tablets of artemether/lumefantrine in blister packs for a complete treatment for one individual.
There are 5 different blister packs corresponding to 4 different categories of weight.
- 20 mg artemether/120 mg lumefantrine dispersible tablet, blister pack of 6 tablets.
- 20 mg artemether/120 mg lumefantrine dispersible tablet, blister pack of 12 tablets.
- 20 mg artemether/120 mg lumefantrine tablet, blister pack of 18 tablets.
- 20 mg artemether/120 mg lumefantrine tablet, blister pack of 24 tablets.
- 80 mg artemether/480 mg lumefantrine tablet, blister pack of 6 tablets.
Dose and duration
The treatment is administered 2 times daily for 3 days. On D1, the first dose is given at 0 hour and the second dose at 8 to 12 hours. Subsequent doses on D2 and D3 are given 2 times daily in the morning and evening.
| Weight | 20/120 mg tablet | 80/480 mg tablet | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 | D2 | D3 | D1 | D2 | D3 | |
| 5 to < 15 kg | 1 disp tab x 2 | 1 disp tab x 2 | 1 disp tab x 2 | - | - | - |
| 15 to < 25 kg | 2 disp tab x 2 | 2 disp tab x 2 | 2 disp tab x 2 | - | - | - |
| 25 to < 35 kg | 3 tab x 2 | 3 tab x 2 | 3 tab x 2 | - | - | - |
| ≥ 35 kg | 4 tab x 2 | 4 tab x 2 | 4 tab x 2 | 1 tab x 2 | 1 tab x 2 | 1 tab x 2 |
Weight-based dosing
- 5 to < 15 kg: 1 dispersible 20/120 mg tablet 2 times daily on D1, D2, and D3.
- 15 to < 25 kg: 2 dispersible 20/120 mg tablets 2 times daily on D1, D2, and D3.
- 25 to < 35 kg: 3 tablets of 20/120 mg 2 times daily on D1, D2, and D3.
- >= 35 kg: 4 tablets of 20/120 mg 2 times daily on D1, D2, and D3, or 1 tablet of 80/480 mg 2 times daily on D1, D2, and D3.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- May cause headache, dizziness, and gastrointestinal disturbances.
- Administer with caution to patients taking drugs that prolong the QT interval, including amiodarone, other antimalarials, antipsychotics, fluconazole, fluoroquinolones, hydroxyzine, macrolides, and ondansetron.
- If the patient vomits within 30 minutes after administration, re-administer the full dose.
- If the patient vomits between 30 minutes and 1 hour after administration, re-administer half of the dose.
- Pregnancy: no contra-indication.
- Breast-feeding: no contra-indication.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page combines source-derived medicine reference sections with Kenza editorial context, while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections from the source batch.
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