Primaquine Shortage – Resolved

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the shortage of antimalarial medication primaquine has resolved as of August 20, 2019. The FDA announced a shortage of primaquine on July 19, 2019 due to unavailability of the active ingredient.

Primaquine and tafenoquine are the only two drugs that can be used for radical cure of Plasmodium vivax and ovale infections to eliminate hypnozoites in hepatocytes, the dormant forms of the malaria parasites associated with these two species. Primaquine can also be used for primary and terminal chemoprophylaxis in certain malaria-endemic areas.

For more information on the shortage of primaquine, visit the FDA Drug Shortages webpageexternal icon.

For more information about treatment of malaria visit https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/diagnosis_treatment/treatment.html.

For information about malaria prevention by country, visit https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travelers/country_table/a.html.