Antimalarial Syrup

Is the sodium salt of the hemisuccinate ester of artemisinin. It is rapidly absorbed with peak plasma levels occurring 1.5 hours after oral administration. It is almost entirely converted to dihydroartemisinin, the active metabolite.
Elimination half life of artesunate is 45 minutes. Although it has a short elimination half-life, artemisinin reduces parasite numbers by a factor of approximately 10,000 in each asexual life cycle. In 3 day ACT regimens; the artesunate component is present in the body during only two asexual parasite life cycles. This exposure to 3 days of artesunate reduces parasite numbers (load) by a factor of approximately 10000 in each asexual cycle.