Atovaquone, sold under the brand name Mepron, is an antimicrobial medication for the prevention and treatment of
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP).[2]
Atovaquone is a chemical compound that belongs to the class of
naphthoquinones. Atovaquone is a hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone, an analog of both
ubiquinone and
lawsone.
Medical uses
Atovaquone is a medication used to treat or prevent:
For
pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP),[3][4] it is used in mild cases, although it is not approved for treatment of severe cases.
For
toxoplasmosis,[5] the medication has antiparasitic and therapeutic effects.
For
malaria, it is one of the two components (along with
proguanil) in the drug
Malarone. Malarone has fewer side effects and is more expensive than
mefloquine.[6] Resistance has been observed.[7]
Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX, Bactrim) is generally considered first-line therapy for PCP (not to be confused with sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine, which is first line for toxoplasmosis). However, atovaquone may be used in patients who cannot tolerate, or are allergic to,
sulfonamide medications such as TMP-SMX. In addition, atovaquone has the advantage of not causing
myelosuppression, which is an important issue in patients who have undergone
bone marrow transplantation.[citation needed]
Atovaquone is given prophylactically to kidney transplant patients to prevent PCP in cases where Bactrim is contraindicated for the patient.[medical citation needed]
Malaria
Atovaquone, as a
combination preparation with
proguanil, has been commercially available from
GlaxoSmithKline since 2000 as Malarone for the treatment and prevention of malaria.
Research
COVID-19
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(November 2022)
Preliminary research found that atovaquone could inhibit the replication of
SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.[9] Clinical trials of atovaquone for the treatment of
COVID-19 are planned,[10][11] and ongoing in United States in December 2021.[12][needs update]
^Dohn MN, Weinberg WG, Torres RA, Follansbee SE, Caldwell PT, Scott JD, et al. (August 1994). "Oral atovaquone compared with intravenous pentamidine for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with AIDS. Atovaquone Study Group". Annals of Internal Medicine. 121 (3): 174–180.
doi:
10.7326/0003-4819-121-3-199408010-00003.
PMID7880228.
S2CID24263604.