In vitrosensitivity of southern African isolates ofPlasmodium falciparumto halofantrine

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Abstract
Twenty southern African isolates of Plasmodium falciparum and a ‘control’ Gambian strain were tested in vitro for their sensitivity to halofantrine. The concentration required to inhibit 50% of parasite growth, the IC50, ranged from 0·039 to 15·000 nmol/litre, with a mean of 4·619 nmol/litre. These IC50 values were comparable with those obtained in studies carried out in West Africa but were higher than the IC50 of South-East Asian isolates. All 21 isolates examined in the present study had minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 32 nmol/litre or less, with a median MIC value of 8 nmol/litre. Halofantrine was equally active against chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant isolates and was also active against pyrimethamine-resistant strains. Indications are that this drug would be suitable for the treatment of P. falciparum malaria in the southern African region.