OpenClaim

Artesunate Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of artesunate include haemolytic anaemia, off label use, and drug interaction, based on 452 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 5.3% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Artesunate side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for artesunate.

1
Haemolytic Anaemia10.0%45
2
Off Label Use6.6%30
3
Drug Interaction5.5%25
4
Drug Ineffective5.3%24
5
Condition Aggravated5.3%24
6
Hepatotoxicity4.9%22
7
Asthenia3.8%17
8
Depressed Mood3.8%17
9
Drug-induced Liver Injury3.5%16
10
Acute Kidney Injury3.3%15
11
Chest Pain3.3%15
12
Weight Decreased3.3%15
13
Product Use In Unapproved Indication3.3%15
14
Fatigue3.1%14
15
Haemolysis3.1%14

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that artesunate caused these reactions.

Report severity

98.0%Serious443 reports
51.8%Hospitalizations234 reports
22.8%Fatal103 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Artesunate drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside artesunate. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Ceftriaxone-sodium10.0%45
2
Ciprofloxacin5.1%23
3
Aspirin4.2%19
4
Acetaminophen4.2%19
5
Doxycycline4.2%19
6
Vancomycin3.8%17
7
Ganciclovir3.8%17
8
Quinine-sulfate3.8%17
9
Levetiracetam3.8%17
10
Furosemide3.5%16
11
Metronidazole3.3%15
12
Albendazole2.9%13
13
Temozolomide2.9%13
14
Meropenem2.9%13
15
Azithromycin2.9%13

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen6.4%29
2
Aspirin5.3%24
3
Allopurinol4.6%21
4
Folic-acid4.6%21
5
Ceftriaxone-sodium4.4%20
6
Spironolactone3.3%15
7
Ramipril3.3%15
8
Insulin3.3%15
9
Amoxicillin3.3%15
10
Esomeprazole3.1%14
11
Levothyroxine-sodium2.9%13
12
Pantoprazole-sodium2.9%13
13
Potassium-chloride2.7%12
14
Digitoxin2.7%12
15
Ferrous-sulfate2.7%12

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports artesunate side effects

45.4% of artesunate adverse event reports involve female patients and 41.2% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 49%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female45.4%
Male41.2%
Unknown13.5%

Age group

< 27.8%
2–115.5%
12–173.5%
18–6449.1%
65+34.1%

What is artesunate used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking artesunate when the adverse event was reported.

AscitesAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntiviral ProphylaxisCardiac DisorderCardiac FailureCardiac Failure ChronicCardiac Failure CongestiveCerebral MalariaCoronary Artery DiseaseCytomegalovirus ChorioretinitisCytomegalovirus ColitisCytomegalovirus InfectionCytomegalovirus ViraemiaCerebral Malaria

Showing 15 of 60 indications

Artesunate brand names and reporting trend

Artesunate is sold under the brand name Artesunate.

Brand names

Artesunate512

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking artesunate with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.