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Table 6 Details of subjects with severe, serious or medically important psychiatric adverse events following tafenoquine [74]

From: Neurological and psychiatric safety of tafenoquine in Plasmodium vivax relapse prevention: a review

Study identification (indication) [refs.]

Study design

Dose

Event preferred term (severity or verbatim terms)

Onset

Duration

Resolution

Relationship to study drug by the Investigator

Intervention/action taken

Medical history

SB252263/043 (prophylaxis) [89]

R, DB, PC

750 mg cumulative

Suicidal behaviour (associated with alcohol intoxication)a

Day 8

1 day after tafenoquine discontinued

Resolved

Related (chloroquine co-suspect)b

Hospitalized and required corrective therapy (intervention unknown)/withdrawn due to unstable mental state

Family reported history of marital difficulties and previous suicide threat; no other relevant history or concomitant medications reported at screening

SB252263/050 subject A (volunteers) [90]

R, DB, PC

350 mg single dose

Acute psychotic episode (severe)

Day 24

25 days

Recovered

Possibly related

Hospitalized following progressive emotional distress

Two previous episodes of psychosis (not disclosed at screening)

SB252263/050 subject B (volunteers) [90]

R, DB, PC

500 mg single dose

Psychotic episode (severe)

Day 8

9 days

Recovered

Remotely related

Hospitalized for a pre-scheduled psychiatric admission

Recent diagnosis of schizophrenia (not disclosed at screening)

SB252263/014 (volunteers) [unpublished]

R, O, PG

1200 mg cumulative

Paranoid hallucinotic psychosis (serious)

Day 27

3 days

Not resolved

Unrelated

Hospitalized and treated with olanzapine and lorazepam/none

History of “hallucinotic psychosis” 6 months earlier (not disclosed at screening); no obvious signs of psychosis at screening; negative drug screen

TAF112582 part 1 (P. vivax relapse prevention) [9]

R, DB, PC

600 mg single dose

Depressed mood

Day 6

Unknown

Resolved

Unrelated (chloroquine co-suspect)b

Hospitalized (on day 88 for 2 days) with nausea, epigastric pain, diarrhoea, and depression; treated with fluoxetine; consulted with psychiatric specialist (findings unknown)

History of depression but no suicidal tendencies; irregular psychiatric consults; frequent but irregular use of diazepam (10 mg)

TAF114582 (volunteers) [91]

R, SB, PC, AC

600 mg single dose

Depressed mood (mild)

Day 4

3 days

Resolved

Related

None

No relevant past medical history or concomitant medications were reported; at the time of the event, subject also reported abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and palpitations

SB252263/033 (prophylaxis) [7]

R, DB, AC

1200 mg cumulative

Depression (moderate)

Day 24

87 days

Resolved

Related

Required corrective therapy (paroxetin)/withdrawn from study

Closed head injury 3 years prior to study

SB252263/057 subject B (volunteers) [92]

R, DB, PC

1600 mg cumulative

Depressed mood (mild)

Day 37

15 days

Resolved

Unlikely related

None

No relevant past history; treated for a UTI with sulfamethoxazole starting on day 13 (co-suspect)

SB252263/057 subject A (volunteers) [92]

R, DB, PC

5200 mgc cumulative

Bipolar depression (mild); depression (mild)

Day 223 (62 days since last dose)

Lost to follow-up

Unknown

Unlikely related

Bupropion and lithium started on study day 223 (ongoing)/excluded due to a positive hepatitis/HIV screen

No relevant past history or concomitant medications

  1. UTI urinary tract infection, R randomised, SB single blind, DB double blind, PC placebo controlled, AC active controlled, O open label, PG parallel group
  2. aFamily reported that subject had taken “poison.” The event was not assigned a body system and therefore does not appear in the pooled output for adverse events within the psychiatric disorders classification
  3. bThe sponsor considered chloroquine co-suspect
  4. cLoading dose 200 mg/day for 3 days plus 200 mg weekly for 23 weeks