Assessment of Artesunate/Mefloquine in the Peruvian Amazon

Summary

There is growing evidence of the emergence of P. falciparum resistance to artesunate (a derivative of artemisin) in Southeast Asia. The emergence and spread of resistant strains to artemisinin would represent an alarming threat to the success of the antimalarial combination therapy in the region. The delayed clearance of parasitemia for more than 24 hours has been taken as an early sign of resistance, a phenomenon seen at the Thai-Cambodia border. The purpose of this research study, is to assess the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of combinated artesunate/mefloquine therapy to treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the Peruvian Amazon through the analysis of the rate of clearance of parasitemia and other important outcomes.

Timeline

Start

2014-06-18

Primary completion

2015-11-06

Completion

2016-04-13

Publications

• Background Durand S, Sihuincha M, Lachira A, Chaves J, Cabezas C. [A need to monitor P. falciparum resistance to artesunate in Peru]. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica. 2012 Oct-Dec;29(4):579-80. doi: 10.1590/s1726-46342012000400028. No abstract available. Spanish.
• Background de Oliveira AM, Chavez J, de Leon GP, Durand S, Arrospide N, Roberts J, Cabezas C, Marquino W. Efficacy and effectiveness of mefloquine and artesunate combination therapy for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the Peruvian Amazon. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2011 Sep;85(3):573-8. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2011.11-0250.
• Background Gutman J, Green M, Durand S, Rojas OV, Ganguly B, Quezada WM, Utz GC, Slutsker L, Ruebush TK 2nd, Bacon DJ. Mefloquine pharmacokinetics and mefloquine-artesunate effectiveness in Peruvian patients with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Malar J. 2009 Apr 9;8:58. doi: 10.1186/1475-2875-8-58.
• Background Alker AP, Lim P, Sem R, Shah NK, Yi P, Bouth DM, Tsuyuoka R, Maguire JD, Fandeur T, Ariey F, Wongsrichanalai C, Meshnick SR. Pfmdr1 and in vivo resistance to artesunate-mefloquine in falciparum malaria on the Cambodian-Thai border. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2007 Apr;76(4):641-7.
• Background Wongsrichanalai C, Meshnick SR. Declining artesunate-mefloquine efficacy against falciparum malaria on the Cambodia-Thailand border. Emerg Infect Dis. 2008 May;14(5):716-9. doi: 10.3201/eid1405.071601.

Drugs

Indications