How many tablets of Artesunate should an adult take?

In the pharmaceutical industry, Artesunate is an artemisinin derivative and a critical blood schizontocidal agent. As a pharmacist and manufacturer, I must differentiate between its two primary clinical uses: Oral treatment for uncomplicated malaria and Parenteral treatment for severe malaria.

At your WHO-GMP facility in Mumbai, you likely manufacture the 50 mg or 100 mg tablets, which are governed by strict weight-based dosing protocols.

 Oral Dosage (Uncomplicated Malaria)

For an adult (typically defined as weighing 50 kg or more), Artesunate is rarely used alone; it is almost always part of an Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) to prevent resistance.

• Standard Rule: The adult dose is 4 mg/kg of body weight, taken once daily for 3 consecutive days.

• Combination Requirement: This must be taken alongside a partner drug (like Sulfadoxine/Pyrimethamine or Mefloquine) as per the National Anti-Malaria Drug Policy.

• Parenteral Transition (Severe Malaria)

If the patient was initially treated with injections for severe malaria, the switch to oral tablets happens once they can tolerate food and drink.

• The “Step-Down” Protocol: After a minimum of 24 hours of injectable Artesunate, the patient must complete a full 3-day course of an oral ACT.

• Timing: The first oral dose should be taken 8 to 12 hours after the last injection.

Mechanism: Why the 3-Day Rule?

Artesunate is exceptionally fast-acting but has a very short half-life ($<60\text{ minutes}$).

The Quick Kill: It rapidly reduces the parasite biomass in the first 24 hours.

The Clearance: The subsequent doses (Day 2 and 3) ensure that any remaining “dormant” parasites are eliminated as they re-enter the active cycle.

Resistance Prevention: Stopping after 1 or 2 days is the primary cause of treatment failure and drug resistance.

The Manufacturer’s Perspective: Technical & Export

From a production and B2B standpoint at your facility in Mumbai, here is how to optimize this product for your digital platforms:

• Packaging USP: For adult patients, we manufacture “Adult Blister Packs” containing 12 tablets of 50 mg (or 6 tablets of 100 mg). This ensures the patient has exactly the right amount for a 3-day course, significantly improving compliance.

• Dissolution Profile: As a pharmacist, you know that for oral tablets to be effective against malaria, they must disintegrate rapidly ($<15\text{ minutes}$). Highlighting your advanced compression technology is a major selling point for international health NGOs.

• Dossier Readiness: We provide full CTD/eCTD Dossiers to support your firm in bidding for massive government tenders in Africa and Southeast Asia.

• Stability for Zone IVb: We utilize Alu-Alu blister packaging to protect the sensitive Artesunate molecule from the high heat and humidity of tropical export markets.