Tafenoquine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Tafenoquine is a medicine sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for malaria. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Treats
- Malaria
- Available as
- Tablet
- Sold as
- 2 products — Krintafel and Arakoda
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
How tafenoquine is dosed
From the FDA label for Krintafel (application NDA210795). Other tafenoquine products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
All patients must be tested for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency prior to prescribing KRINTAFEL. ( 2.1 ) • Pregnancy testing is recommended for females of reproductive potential prior to initiating treatment with KRINTAFEL. ( 2.1 ) • The recommended dose of KRINTAFEL in patients aged 16 years and older is a single dose of 300 mg administered as two 150-mg KRINTAFEL tablets taken together. ( 2.2 ) • Coadminister KRINTAFEL on the first or second day of chloroquine therapy for the acute P. vivax malaria. ( 2.2 ) • Administer KRINTAFEL with food. ( 2.2 ) 2.1 Tests to be Performed Prior to Treatment with KRINTAFEL All patients must be tested for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency prior to prescribing KRINTAFEL [see Contraindications ( 4 ), Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . Pregnancy testing is recommended for females of reproductive potential prior to initiating treatment with KRINTAFEL [see Use in Specific Populations ( 8.1 , 8.3 )] . 2.2 Recommended Dosage and Administration The recommended dose of KRINTAFEL in patients aged 16 years and older is a single dose of 300 mg administered as two 150-mg tablets taken together. Coadminister KRINTAFEL on the first or second day of chloroquine therapy for acute P. vivax malaria [see Clinical Studies ( 14 )] . Administer KRINTAFEL with food to increase systemic absorption [see Clinical Pharmacology (…
Tafenoquine side effects
The following clinically significant adverse reactions have been observed with KRINTAFEL and are discussed in detail in the Warnings and Precautions section: • Hemolytic anemia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] • Methemoglobinemia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] • Psychiatric effects [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] • Hypersensitivity reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] Common adverse reactions (≥5%) were dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache, and decreased hemoglobin. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact GlaxoSmithKline at 1-888-825-5249 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared with rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The safety data described below reflect exposure to 4,129 subjects, of whom 810 received a 300-mg single dose of KRINTAFEL. KRINTAFEL was evaluated in patients with P. vivax malaria (n = 483) in 3 randomized, double-blind trials including a placebo-controlled trial comparing KRINTAFEL plus chloroquine (n = 260) with chloroquine alone (Trial 1), a placebo-controlled dose-ranging trial (Trial 2) (n = 57) [see Clinical Studies ( 14 )] , and a hematologic…
Who shouldn’t take tafenoquine
KRINTAFEL is contraindicated in: • Patients with G6PD deficiency or unknown G6PD status due to the risk of hemolytic anemia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . • Breastfeeding by a lactating woman when the infant is found to be G6PD deficient or if the G6PD status of the infant is unknown [see Use in Specific Populations ( 8.2 )]. • Patients with known hypersensitivity to tafenoquine, other 8-aminoquinolines, or any component of KRINTAFEL [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] . • G6PD deficiency or unknown G6PD status. ( 4 ) • Breastfeeding by a lactating woman when the infant is found to be G6PD deficient or if G6PD status is unknown. ( 4 , 8.2 ) • Known hypersensitivity reactions to tafenoquine, other 8-aminoquinolines, or any component of KRINTAFEL. ( 4 )
Tafenoquine drug interactions
Avoid coadministration with drugs that are substrates of organic cation transporter-2 (OCT2) or multidrug and toxin extrusion (MATE) transporters. ( 7.1 ) 7.1 Effect of KRINTAFEL on Organic Cation Transporter-2 (OCT2) and Multidrug and Toxin Extrusion (MATE) Substrates The effect of coadministration of tafenoquine on the pharmacokinetics of OCT2 and MATE substrates in humans is unknown. However, in vitro observations suggest the potential for increased concentrations of these substrates [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] which may increase the risk of toxicity of these drugs. Avoid coadministration of KRINTAFEL with OCT2 and MATE substrates (e.g., dofetilide, metformin). If coadministration cannot be avoided, monitor for drug-related toxicities and consider dosage reduction if needed based on approved product labeling of the coadministered drug.
Every tafenoquine product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Tablet | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | No data | — | View → |
What tafenoquine pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
| Imprint | Strength | Colour | Shape | Maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS;J11 | 150 mg | pink | capsule | — |
Can you crush or split tafenoquine?
At least one tafenoquineproduct is labelled to be swallowed whole — crushing an extended-release tablet releases the whole day’s dose at once. Which applies depends on the form you were given.
What each tafenoquine label says about crushing, splitting and chewingHow long tafenoquine keeps
No tafenoquine label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does tafenoquine expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsTafenoquine and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for tafenoquine: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadNo information is available on the use of tafenoquine during breastfeeding. The amounts in milk are acceptable if the infant is not glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficient, but tafenoquine can cause hemolysis in patients with G6PD deficiency. If tafenoquine is needed by the mother, testing the mother and infant for G6PD deficiency is required before the drug is given. Because the half-life of tafenoquine averages 15 days, the manufacturer recommends that breastfeeding should not breastfeed for 3 months after the dose if the infant is G6PD deficient, which implies complete cessation of nursing.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised January 15, 2026. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
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Frequently asked questions
What is tafenoquine?
KRINTAFEL contains tafenoquine succinate, an antimalarial agent for oral administration.
Can you take tafenoquine with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run tafenoquine against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is tafenoquine sold under?
We track 2 tafenoquine-containing products in the U.S.: Krintafel and Arakoda. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does tafenoquine come in?
Across the brands we track, tafenoquine is currently marketed as tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic tafenoquine?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled tafenoquine product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Tafenoquine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/tafenoquine
- MLA
- “Tafenoquine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/tafenoquine.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for tafenoquine on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.