Pyronaridine is a high efficient and low toxic new antimalarial drug.

3

H-pyronaridine was prepared by catalytic isotopic exchange in solution with tritium gas using Pd0/BaSO

4

as catalyst. That crude product was purified by extraction.

3

H-NMR spectra of pyronaridine showed that tritium was labelled at the 6-position. Specific activity of

3

H-pyronaridine was 5.5 Ci/mmol and radiochemical purity over 95%.