Atovaquone and Proguanil

Atovaquone and proguanil is an antimalarial medicine that you can use to protect yourself against malaria.

Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite that mosquitoes carry. When a mosquito bites you it can pass the parasite into your bloodstream. Atovaquone and proguanil helps to protect you from a malaria infection by stopping the parasite from multiplying in your body.

Even if you take atovaquone and proguanil, you should still protect yourself from mosquito bites by:

• wearing loose clothes with long sleeves and long socks with closed shoes
• spraying bare skin with a high strength insect repellent, such as 50% DEET
• using mosquito nets over your bed and windows
• using plug-in mosquito repellents
• avoiding wet places that mosquitoes often breed in, like swamps, lakes or ponds

Atovaquone and proguanil work by killing the parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) that causes malaria. The parasite gets into your body when an infected mosquito bites you. The parasite travels through your bloodstream to the liver, where it multiplies and then goes back into the blood and into red blood cells. As the parasites grow in the red blood cells the cells burst, which causes the symptoms of malaria such as fever, chills and sweating.

Atovaquone and proguanil stop the malarial parasite from multiplying in your body.

Malarial parasites can become resistant over time to antimalarials. There’s less resistance to atovaquone and proguanil, so they’re effective for most places you may travel to.

You can use Asda Online Doctor today to get the antimalarial you need for your trip.

You can take atovaquone and proguanil if you’re over 18 years old and:

• you are not allergic to atovaquone or proguanil, or any other ingredients in Maloff
• you do not have liver or kidney disease
• you weigh over 40kg
• do not take medicines that interact with it

You’ll need to speak to a doctor first if you are visiting a malarial area and:

• are pregnant
• are breastfeeding
• are under 18 years old
• have had epilepsy
• have depression
• have tuberculosis

Yes, Maloff is the same as Malarone because it contains the same amount of these 2 active ingredients:

• atovaquone (250mg in each tablet)
• proguanil (100mg in each tablet)

You take Maloff or Malarone in the same way, usually 1 tablet each day.

The main difference is that Maloff and Malarone are made by different companies and have different inactive ingredients.

Malarone was the original brand, and Maloff is another brand name for atovaquone and proguanil, that’s also known as ‘generic Malarone tablets’.

You can request Maloff from Asda Online Doctor or over the counter at a nearby Asda Pharmacy for malaria prevention.

The most common side effects you might get when you take atovaquone and proguanil tablets include:

• headache
• nausea and vomiting
• stomach pain
• diarrhoea

Less common side effects of atovaquone and proguanil include:

• dizziness
• difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
• fever
• cough
• loss of appetite
• skin reactions (rash, allergy, itching)

If you have an allergic reaction to atovaquone and proguanil tablets, you need to seek emergency medical attention by calling 999. An allergic reaction includes signs of:

• being unable to breathe properly
• a rash with raised bumps
• tightness in your throat
• swollen lips or mouth

You should not take atovaquone and proguanil if you have:

• liver or kidney problems
• allergies to atovaquone and proguanil or other ingredients
• take other medicines which may interact

Atovaquone and proguanil drug interactions

You should not take atovaquone and proguanil tablets if you’re taking any of the following medicines, as they could affect how they work:

• etoposide
• metoclopramide
• antibiotics, such as tetracycline, rifampicin or rifabutin
• HIV medications (indinavir, efavirenz, zidovudine, protease inhibitors)
• anticoagulants (blood thinners), such as warfarin, dabigatran etexilate, rivaroxaban and apixaban

After your trip to a malarial area

You can still develop malaria after coming home from your trip abroad, even if you take atovaquone and proguanil tablets perfectly. So if you have the following symptoms up to 1 year after you return from a malarial area, see a doctor immediately:

• fever
• headache
• tiredness
• sweats
• chills
• vomiting
• abdominal pain

For more information, take a look at the patient information leaflet for Maloff.

If you get any side effects, you can report them to the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme. You can report side effects online, on Google Play or the Apple App Store.

What are the active ingredients in atovaquone and proguanil?

Each tablet contains 250mg atovaquone and 100mg proguanil hydrochloride.

The other ingredients in atovaquone and proguanil tablets are part of the:

• tablet core: poloxamer 188, microcrystalline cellulose, low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose, povidone K30, sodium starch glycolate type A, silica colloidal anhydrous, magnesium stearate
• film coating: hypromellose, titanium dioxide (E171), iron oxide red (E172), macrogol 400, macrogol 8000

Atovaquone and proguanil tablets do not contain lactose.

How should atovaquone and proguanil be disposed of?

You can dispose of your atovaquone and proguanil tablets by taking them to your local pharmacy. To help protect the environment, do not throw your tablets in the bin at home.

How should atovaquone and proguanil be stored?

Store your atovaquone and proguanil tablets away from children and pets.

You should also store them in the original packaging to protect the tablets from light.

In which pack sizes are atovaquone and proguanil (Maloff) available?

Maloff (atovaquone and proguanil) is available in a pack size of 10 tablets.

Information on the manufacturer

The marketing authorisation holder for Maloff is Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Europe Limited Laxmi House, 2 B Draycott Avenue, Kenton, Middlesex, HA3 0BU, United Kingdom.

The manufacturers of Maloff are:

• Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Europe Limited. Building 2, Croxley Green Business Park, Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, WD18 8YA, United Kingdom
• Glenmark Pharmaceuticals s.r.o. Hvězdova 1716/2b, 140 78 Prague 4, Czech Republic
• Tillomed Laboratories Limited 3 Howard Road, Eaton Socon, St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 8ET, United Kingdom