# Artemether in Nigeria - Source: https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/artemether/ - Drug class: Antimalarial (Artemisinin) (Antimalarials) - Also known as: Artemether Injection - Prescription required: yes - On the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines - Last updated: August 2026 ## Price in Nigeria Artemether injection is a hospital and wholesale product — it moves through clinical channels rather than the online retail listings we sample, which is why no naira figure appears here. Note that for ordinary (uncomplicated) malaria, tablets — artemether-lumefantrine, which we do price — are the recommended treatment; injections are for severe malaria under clinical care. For wholesale quantities, registered distributors quote per ampoule. ## What is Artemether? Artemether is an antimalarial derived from artemisinin, the compound from the sweet wormwood plant that transformed malaria treatment. In Nigeria the standalone product is an oil-based 80mg/ml injection given into the muscle, used for severe (complicated) malaria — the life-threatening form with danger signs like inability to sit or drink, repeated vomiting, convulsions, dark urine, or drowsiness. Every artemether-only product in our copy of the NAFDAC register is this injection; the artemether taken as tablets is the combination artemether-lumefantrine, which has its own page. It matters to be clear about its place: for severe malaria, both WHO and Nigerian treatment guidelines recommend injectable artesunate first, because trials showed it saves more lives. Artemether injection is the accepted alternative when artesunate is not available — a situation that is still common in many Nigerian facilities, which is why dozens of artemether brands remain registered and stocked. It is given deep into the thigh muscle, and because it is dissolved in oil it is absorbed slowly and must never be given into a vein. An injection course never completes the treatment on its own. As soon as the patient can swallow, treatment must be finished with a full course of an artemisinin-based combination (ACT), such as artemether-lumefantrine tablets — stopping at the injections leaves parasites alive, invites the malaria back, and breeds resistance to the drug class Nigeria depends on most. Genuine packs carry a NAFDAC registration number, and antimalarial injections are among the most counterfeited medicines in the country, so verify before use. ## What is Artemether used for? - Severe (complicated) malaria, as the intramuscular alternative where injectable artesunate is not available - Malaria in patients who cannot take medicines by mouth — repeated vomiting, prostration, reduced consciousness — until they can swallow - Pre-referral treatment in peripheral facilities while a severely ill patient is moved to hospital - It is NOT a treatment for ordinary (uncomplicated) malaria — that is what ACT tablets are for ## Dosage Always follow a doctor's or pharmacist's instructions; this is general reference information. - Adults: For severe malaria: 3.2mg per kg of body weight by deep intramuscular injection into the front of the thigh as a loading dose, then 1.6mg/kg once daily until the patient can take oral medicine (usually within a few days, up to 7 days maximum), always followed by a full course of ACT tablets. Treatment is hospital- or clinic-directed; this is never a self-administered medicine. - Children: Same weight-based dosing (3.2mg/kg loading, then 1.6mg/kg daily), given in hospital. Severe malaria kills children fastest — a child with danger signs needs a facility, not a patent-medicine shop. - Elderly: Same weight-based dosing, with closer monitoring of heart rhythm and fluid status. Deep intramuscular injection only — never intravenous, because the oily solution is not made for veins. Absorption from the muscle can be unreliable in severely shocked patients, one reason artesunate is preferred where available. The injections only knock the infection down; the full ACT course afterwards is what cures it. If symptoms have not clearly improved within 24–48 hours, the patient needs reassessment, not more of the same injection. ## Side effects Common: Pain, swelling, or a firm lump at the injection site; Headache and dizziness; Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal discomfort; Fever and weakness (often from the malaria itself as much as the drug). Serious (seek medical help immediately): Allergic reaction — rash, swelling of the face or throat, difficulty breathing — seek help immediately; A slow or irregular heartbeat; Ringing in the ears or hearing changes (rare, usually reversible); No improvement or worsening drowsiness/convulsions within 24–48 hours — this is treatment failure or progressing disease and needs urgent escalation, not a repeat of the same injection. When to see a doctor: Severe malaria is treated in a facility, so a doctor should already be involved. Escalate urgently if consciousness worsens, convulsions occur, urine turns dark or scanty, breathing becomes laboured, or there is no clear improvement within 48 hours. ## Warnings Do not take if: Known allergy to artemether or other artemisinin derivatives (artesunate, dihydroartemisinin); Never use as monotherapy for uncomplicated malaria — this drives artemisinin resistance and is against WHO and Nigerian guidelines; Do not inject intravenously — deep intramuscular only; Use in the first trimester of pregnancy only when the doctor judges the malaria to be the greater danger, which in severe malaria it almost always is. Interactions: Strong enzyme inducers such as rifampicin and some antiretrovirals or anticonvulsants can lower artemether levels and weaken treatment; Other medicines that affect heart rhythm (some antiarrhythmics, antipsychotics, quinolones) — added caution; Mefloquine and other antimalarials — combining is a specialist decision, not a default; Tell the treating team every medicine the patient takes, including herbal antimalarial mixtures. Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Severe malaria in pregnancy is an emergency that endangers mother and baby more than the treatment does; it is managed in hospital, where guidelines support artemisinin derivatives, with injectable artesunate preferred. Breastfeeding can generally continue during treatment — confirm with the treating doctor. ## Brands in Nigeria Well-known NAFDAC-registered brands: Teka Artemether (Teka Pharmaceutical, made in India); Nemether (Chupet Pharmaceutical, made in China); Freshborn Artemether (Freshborn Industries, made in India); Amakin Artemether (Amakin Pharmaceuticals Nigeria, made in India); ZMC Artemether (Demytex Pharma, made in China). Full searchable brand list: https://ogbogwu.com/drugs/artemether/brands/ ## How to verify it is genuine 1. Check the NAFDAC registration number on the carton and verify it on the NAFDAC Greenbook or a free checker — antimalarial injections are among Nigeria's most counterfeited medicines 2. Confirm the product name, manufacturer, and strength on the record match the carton exactly 3. Buy from a licensed pharmacy or receive it in a proper facility; ampoules should be sealed, clear, and within expiry 4. Be suspicious of loose ampoules sold without a carton, and of prices far below the market 5. If a pack carries a Mobile Authentication Service (MAS) scratch panel, scratch it and text the PIN to the number printed on the pack Verify any NAFDAC number free (no login): https://ogbogwu.com/nafdac-checker/ ## FAQs ### Which is better — artemether or artesunate injection? For severe malaria, injectable artesunate is the first choice in both WHO and Nigerian guidelines: large trials showed it prevents more deaths, and it can be given into a vein, which matters in a critically ill patient. Artemether is the accepted alternative when artesunate is not available, and it remains widely registered and stocked in Nigeria for exactly that reason. If a facility offers you a choice, artesunate; if only artemether is available, it is a legitimate, life-saving treatment — what matters most is starting promptly and finishing with ACT tablets. ### Can I take artemether injection for ordinary malaria? You shouldn't. Uncomplicated malaria — fever and a positive test, but no danger signs — is treated with a 3-day course of ACT tablets such as artemether-lumefantrine, which cures it completely. The injection is for severe malaria or for patients who cannot swallow. The common practice of requesting injections for ordinary malaria adds cost, pain, and injection risks without curing any better, and using artemisinin injections loosely helps breed resistance to the one drug class Nigeria cannot afford to lose. ### Why must I still take tablets after finishing the injections? The injections beat the infection down fast but do not reliably clear every parasite. A full course of ACT tablets (for example artemether-lumefantrine) afterwards is what finishes the job. Skipping it invites the malaria back within weeks and exposes surviving parasites to low drug levels — the recipe for resistance. Treatment is not complete until the tablet course is. ### Is artemether the same thing as Coartem? No. Coartem is a brand of artemether-lumefantrine — tablets that combine artemether with a second, longer-acting antimalarial, used for ordinary (uncomplicated) malaria. The artemether on this page is the injection used alone for severe malaria. Same core molecule, different product, different job: tablets to cure ordinary malaria, injection to rescue severe malaria — followed by the tablets. ### How is artemether injection given? By deep intramuscular injection into the front of the thigh, using a dose worked out from body weight (3.2mg/kg to start, then 1.6mg/kg daily). It is an oily solution, so it must never go into a vein, and it should be given by a trained health worker in a facility — severe malaria needs monitoring, not just an injection. ## Sources - NAFDAC Greenbook (official register of approved products in Nigeria) - WHO Model List of Essential Medicines - British National Formulary (BNF) - Nigerian Standard Treatment Guidelines (Federal Ministry of Health)