CHICAMOCHA 3 - Equivalence of Usual Interventions for Trypanosomiasis (EQUITY)

Summary

This randomized, blind, parallel-group trial will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Nifurtimox (NFX) and Benznidazole (BZN), the two usual interventions to treat the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The investigators will test whether NFX is an effective trypanocidal agent (by comparison with placebo) and equivalent to BZN (as active comparator) in terms of both parasite-related and safety outcomes. Individuals found seropositive and without clinical signs of dilated cardiomyopathy will receive either of the active treatments or matching placebo. Participants allocated to NFX or BZN will receive either a 60-day (full-dose) or a 120-day (half-dose) active treatment, whereas the control group will receive placebo for 120 days. There will be thus four arms of active treatment (NFX60, NFX120, BZN60 and BZN120), and a fifth control arm receiving placebo (1:1:1:1:1 allocation ratio) where every participant in the trial will take 120 days of study drug (the groups receiving full-dose will complete a 120-day masked treatment with placebo). The study plans to enroll 500 participants from Colombia (in two different geographical areas) and Argentina, in order to explore regional differences in the treatment effects.

Timeline

Start

2015-08

Primary completion

2018-08

Completion

2019-02

Publications

• Background Villar JC, Perez JG, Cortes OL, Riarte A, Pepper M, Marin-Neto JA, Guyatt GH. Trypanocidal drugs for chronic asymptomatic Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 May 27;2014(5):CD003463. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003463.pub2.
• Villar JC, Herrera VM, Perez Carreno JG, Vaquiro Herrera E, Castellanos Dominguez YZ, Vasquez SM, Cucunuba ZM, Prado NG, Hernandez Y. Nifurtimox versus benznidazole or placebo for asymptomatic Trypanosoma cruzi infection (Equivalence of Usual Interventions for Trypanosomiasis - EQUITY): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials. 2019 Jul 15;20(1):431. doi: 10.1186/s13063-019-3423-3.

Drugs

Indications