Maloff Protect

What is Maloff Protect?

Maloff Protect is an antimalarial with two active ingredients working in tandem: atovaquone, and proguanil hydrochloride. These ingredients have been found to work well together, with the latter making the former more effective. It also includes various other ingredients in small quantities to make up its core and its coating - check our "Ingredients' tab for full details.

Maloff Protect is the new OTC version of the well-known antimalarial tablet Malarone - a prescription-only medicine.

Why Maloff Protect is different from other treatments

Maloff Protect is one of many antimalarial treatments, but it stands out from the others. Why? Because its composition has been found so reliably safe and effective that the treatment has been approved for adults to purchase over the counter in pharmacies. Cheap malaria tablets no longer need to be hassle to get or be purchased from questionable sources, because Maloff Protect is affordable, effective, and easy to buy.

Why choose Maloff Protect?

Maloff Protect contains the same ingredients as Malarone and generic atovaquone/proguanil tablets - so why should you choose Maloff Protect?

1. Price - Maloff Protect combines the best of both worlds - a trusted brand with OTC prices. You can save over £20 per person on a two week holiday by choosing Maloff Protect over prescription Malarone.
2. Easy online ordering - Maloff Protect is the UK's first antimalarial tablet to be made available to the public after previously being prescription-only. It is now available from pharmacies online after answering a few simple questions about your health and your destination of travel - no more expensive trips to the travel clinic!

How Maloff Protect effectively prevents malaria

Though malaria is spread by mosquitoes, the actual culprits are the parasites transmitted through the mosquito bites — most commonly plasmodium falciparum. Both of the active ingredients in Maloff Protect act to kill the most common parasite and thus treat the disease — or, ideally, prevent it from being contracted altogether.

• Proguanil hydrochloride blocks the action of a compound that is found in the parasite
• Atovaquone interferes with the production of substances needed by the malarial parasites to reproduce

The requirements for buying Maloff Protect

To purchase Maloff Protect, you need to confirm that it is one of the recommended antimalarials for the area that you are travelling to. You can do that at TravelHealthPro.org with the following instructions:

1. Click the link to TravelHealthPro.org and select the country you are visiting from the list.
2. Click 'Malaria' in the banner under the name of the country. If there is no malaria listing, there is no malaria risk in that country.
3. Scroll down to 'Risk Areas' - this will tell you which antimalarial is recommended for each area of the country. If atovaquone/proguanil is listed for your area, Maloff Protect is suitable for your trip!

Next you need to select the correct quantity for your trip - don't worry we've already done the maths for you! All the options above include the 9 tablets that you need to complete your course - two for before your trip and seven for after your trip. Use the following guide:

Although you don’t need a prescription to buy Maloff Protect for adult use, if you are under 18 years of age, you will need to see you GP for a prescription if you need antimalarial treatment.

Additionally, it’s strongly recommended that if you're not sure which treatment you require that you consult a pharmacist before choosing a malaria treatment, just to ensure that you make the best decision about what to buy. When you buy Maloff Protect online from The Independent Pharmacy, our healthcare team will check that Maloff Protect is right for you as part of your online consultation.

Deciding if Maloff Protect is the right choice for you

Maloff Protect may be available over the counter, but that doesn’t mean it’s the treatment to use in every situation. As with any medicine, there are situations where Maloff Protect is the right choice for treating malaria, as well as situations in which you should find a different solution. Follow this process to decide:

• Check the advice for your destination. Different areas can require different antimalarial treatments owing to different malaria parasites, so you need to find out what you’re going to be dealing with. You can check this on the NHS site or Travel Health Pro. About 3 out of every 4 malaria cases in this country are caused by the parasite that Maloff Protect treats.
  
• Review the warnings. It’s possible that you’re allergic to an ingredient of Maloff Protect, or that a separate condition, medicine or situation could make it unwise or entirely unsuitable (liver disease, HIV treatments, pregnancy, etc.). If so, disregard the idea and speak to your doctor about an alternative option.
  
• Consult your pharmacist. Malaria is not something to be taken lightly, so if you're not sure, don’t settle for taking Maloff Protect and hoping that everything will work out. Speak to a pharmacist to check that you’re selecting the right treatment and come up with a plan to follow to reduce your chances of contracting malaria whilst you're away.
  

How to use Maloff Protect most effectively

If you’ve followed the right procedure and confirmed that Maloff Protect is definitely the correct choice for your malaria protection, then you’ll need to use it correctly to give yourself the best chance of remaining unscathed. Here’s what you should do:

• Follow the directions. Maloff Protect was created to be taken daily in accordance with the guidelines listed in the directions section. If you carefully stick with the provided advice and avoid bites, you’ll vastly reduce your chances of contracting malaria.
  
• Guard against mosquitoes. While malaria tablets are effective, they’re not 100% effective, and there’s no reason to take avoidable risks. Make an effort to limit mosquito exposure through whatever means are available — cover your body, sleep behind nets or screens, and use insect repellent or insecticide if you deem it necessary.
• Watch for side effects. Maloff Protect is the OTC version of the well-known antimalarial Malarone - widely thought to be the most tolerable treatment. Although side effects will be relatively rare, make sure you read our 'Side Effects' tab and if you notice any undesirable effects during your travel and go directly to a doctor as soon as you show any worrying symptoms.

You can read the Maloff Protect Patient Information Leaflet here: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.660.pdf

How to take Maloff Protect

You should get a specific treatment plan from whichever medical professional you consult, but it’s unlikely to differ much from the following basic schedule (barring exceptional circumstances):

• Take your first tablet 1-2 days before arriving at the malaria-affected area.
• Consume one tablet every day of the trip.
  • Swallow each tablet (don’t crush or chew it).
  • Take it alongside some food and/or a milky drink.
  • If you vomit within an hour, take another tablet.
  • Don’t double-down on a missed dose. Simply take it when you remember to, then return to your regular routine.
• Continue taking tablets for at least 7 days after leaving the area.

If you need malaria tablets for longer than 93 days, you won’t be able the extra tablets over the counter — you’ll need to acquire a prescription.

Maloff Protect Ingredients

The active substances in Maloff Protect are atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride, with each tablet containing 250 mg atovaquone and 100 mg proguanil hydrochloride.

The core also contains the following:

• Poloxamer 188, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Low-substituted Hydroxypropyl Cellulose, Povidone K30, Sodium Starch Glycolate Type A, Silica Colloidal anhydrous, Magnesium Stearate

And the tablet coating contains the following:

• Hypromellose, Titanium Dioxide (E171), Iron Oxide Red (E172), Macrogol 400, Macrogol 8000

Maloff Protect Side Effects

The possible side effects of Maloff Protect range from major (very rare) to very mild (could appear in over 10% of all cases). Let’s look at the most major first:

• A severe allergic reaction, producing any/all of the following symptoms:
  • An itchy rash.
  • Swelling.
  • Wheezing.
  • Chest or throat tightness.
  • Difficulty breathing.
• A severe skin reaction, producing any/all of the following symptoms:
  • A skin rash that may blister with dark spots.
  • A widespread rash with peeling skin around the face and/or genitals.

If you encounter any of these symptoms while taking Maloff Protect (and believe that you would not otherwise have suffered them, since wheezing isn’t uncommon in general), stop taking the tablets and find a doctor to review your situation.

Now we’ll look at the mild side effects:

• A headache.
• Nausea (and possibly vomiting).
• Stomach pain.
• Diarrhoea.
• A loss of appetite.
• A fever.
• A cough.
• Dizziness.
• Depression.
• Trouble sleeping.

If you experience any of these side effects as a result of consuming Maloff Protect, let your doctor or pharmacist now. The information will help their work, and they can tell you whether you should continue using Maloff Protect or stop for the time being. If you don’t mind taking a few minutes to provide some further details, also go to the Yellow Card scheme and let them know about the specifics of your situation.

Maloff Protect Warnings

You must not take Maloff Protect if you:

• Are allergic to any of the ingredients.
• Suffer from kidney or liver disease.
• Are taking any of the following medicines:
  • Etoposide, a cancer treatment.
  • Metoclopramide, a nausea and vomiting treatment.
  • Tetracycline, rifampicin, or rifabutin (antibiotics).
  • Indinavir, efavirenz, zidovudine or other any protease inhibitor for HIV.
  • Any coumarin-based anticoagulant, or any newer oral anticoagulant such as dabigatran etexilate, rivaroxaban, or apixaban, all treatments for blood clots.

You must request and receive a prescription from a doctor if you:

• Are breastfeeding and/or pregnant.
• Are under 18 years old.
• Weigh under 40kg.
• Have suffered from epilepsy, convulsions, and/or fits.
• Suffer from depression.
• Have tuberculosis.

Maloff Protect is not a definitive solution for the threat of malaria, so don’t make the mistake of assuming that you’re perfectly safe. To make malaria as unlikely as possible, you must mix effective antimalarial medicine with sensible practical precautions.