Artemether is concentrated in the food vacuole. It interacts with haem, blocking conversion to haemozoin, destroying existing haemozoin and releasing haem and a cluster of free radicals into the parasite. Lumefantrine is thought to interfere with the haem polymerisation process. Both Artemether and Lumefantrine have a secondary action involving inhibition of nucleic acid and protein synthesis within the malarial parasite. Artemether is fast acting drug with a short half-life. Lumefantrine acts slowly and has a longer half-life.

Headache, dizziness, sleep disorder, abdominal pain, anorexia, diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, palpitation, cough, arthralgia, myalgia, pruritus, rash, asthenia and fatigue. Somnolence, involuntary muscle contractions, paraesthesia, hypoaesthesia, abnormal gait, ataxia.