Study of Malaria Treatment at Phuoc Long Hospital, Binh Phuoc Province, Vietnam

Summary

Background: There are worrying signs from Western Cambodia that parasitological responses to artesunate containing treatment regimens for uncomplicated falciparum malaria are slower than elsewhere in the world. Delayed parasite clearance and unusually high failure rates with artesunate-mefloquine have been reported. These antimalarials are central to current treatment strategies and spread of significant resistance outside this area would be a global disaster. Radical containment measures are needed. In this context there is an urgent need to proceed quickly to investigate whether there is any evidence of resistance to artemisinin derivatives in Vietnam. Objective: The primary objective is to assess the slope of the decline in the log parasitemia-time curve in patients treated with artesunate 2mg/kg/day, artesunate 4mg/kg/day or dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine once daily, and to compare the results of this study to the pharmacokinetic results and to the recent data from patients in Cambodia and Thailand treated with equivalent therapies. Methods: The trial will be conducted in Phuoc Long Hospital, Binh Phuoc Province, Vietnam. The participants will be febrile patients (aged \> 10 years) with slide confirmed uncomplicated P. falciparum infection. Patients will be treated with either artesunate 2mg/kg/day, artesunate 4mg/kg/day or dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine once daily for 3 days. Patients on artesunate therapy arms will then receive 3 days of treatment with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine with dosages according to the national guidelines. Clinical and parasitological parameters will be monitored over a 42-day follow-up period. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of artesunate and dihydroartemisinin will be assessed by using a population pharmacokinetic modeling.

Timeline

Start

2010-08

Primary completion

2011-05

Completion

2011-05

Drugs

Indications