Artesunate

Active ingredient description

Artesunate is a semi-synthetic artemisinin derivative, indicated for the initial treatment of severe malaria in adults and children. The antimalarial mechanism of action of artesunate is generally thought to depend upon activation involving iron-mediated cleavage of the endoperoxide bridge of DHA to generate an unstable organic free radical followed by alkylation, where the free radical binds to malarial proteins leading to destruction of parasite membranes.

Medicine classification

This medicinal substance has been classified in the anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) classification according to its main therapeutic use as follows:

ATC code
Group title
Classification
Artesunate
P Antiparasitic products, insecticides and repellents → P01 Antiprotozoals → P01B Antimalarials → P01BE Artemisinin and derivatives
Discover more medicines within P01BE03

Product monographs

Competent medicine agencies globally have authorized commercialization of this active ingredient according to these medication package inserts (MPIs):

Title
Type
Country
Structured Product Labeling (SPL/PLR)
US

Medicines

Artesunate is the active ingredient of these drugs:

Drug
Countries

Netherlands

Structural formula

Graphic representation of the active ingredient's molecular structure

Chemical formula: C₁₉H₂₈O₈
Molecular mass: 384.425 g/mol

External identifiers

CAS Substance: 182824-33-5
CAS Substance: 88495-63-0
DrugBank Drug: DB09274
KEGG Drug: D02482
PubChem Compound: 6917864
RxNorm Ingredient: 18346
SNOMED-CT Concept: 432410005
Artesunate (substance)
UNII Identifier: 60W3249T9M
ARTESUNATE