Statins as Potential Antimalarial Drugs: Low Relative Potency and Lack of Synergy with Conventional Antimalarial Drugs

The in vitro sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum to atorvastatin and rosuvastatin was assessed using chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant strains. Although atorvastatin was more potent, it had weak activity (mean 50% inhibitory concentration of > or = 17 microM) and an indifferent interaction with chloroquine and dihydroartemisinin. Bioassay of plasma from an atorvastatin-treated subject showed similar results.