Appendix C: How to Acquire IV Artesunate in the United States

At a glance

  • Severe malaria can rapidly result in death if not appropriately managed.
  • If your facility does not have IV artesunate in stock, follow the steps below to obtain the medication as soon as possible.

How to Acquire IV Artesunate in the United States

Artesunate for InjectionTM manufactured by Amivas, is approved by the FDA, and is commercially available in the United States.

FDA-approved artesunate is available for purchase from major drug distributors. Hospitals that do not have Artesunate for InjectionTM in stock should use the following steps when artesunate is needed to treat a patient with severe malaria:

  1. The hospital pharmacist should call +1-855-5AMIVAS (+1-855-526-4827) to identify the closest distributor of Artesunate for InjectionTM for a patient emergency. This number operates 24/7/365. If prompted, the hospital pharmacist should leave a voice message with a call back phone number. All voice messages with a contact phone number will receive a call back within 30 minutes.
  2. Another option is to call the emergency line for the hospital's affiliated distributor. Information and emergency phone numbers for distributors that carry Artesunate for InjectionTM can be found here. *Make sure to emphasize that this is an emergency procurement for a critically ill patient.
  3. If it is not possible to obtain drug from a distributor immediately, consider obtaining drug from a nearby hospital that has it in stock (this can be facilitated by a prearranged agreement), or transferring the patient to a hospital where artesunate is stocked or can be procured more quickly.
Keep Reading: Clinical Guidance for Diagnosis and Treatment of Malaria in the United States
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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)