Atovaquone-proguanil remains a potential stopgap therapy for multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum in areas along the Thai-cambodian border

Abstract

Our recent report of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine failure to treat Plasmodium falciparum infections in Cambodia adds new urgency to the search for alternative treatments. Despite dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine failure, and higher piperaquine 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) following reanalysis than those previously reported, P. falciparum remained sensitive to atovaquone (ATQ) in vitro. There were no point mutations in the P. falciparum cytochrome b ATQ resistance gene. Mefloquine, artemisinin, chloroquine, and quinine IC50s remained comparable to those from other recent reports. Atovaquone-proguanil may be a useful stopgap but remains susceptible to developing resistance when used as blood-stage therapy.