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Artemisinin-naphthoquine showed greater efficacy vs. current P. vivax malaria therapy
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Artemisinin-naphthoquine had comparable efficacy to artemether-lumefantrine among children with Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Papua New Guinea, and was superior to artemether-lumefantrine among children with Plasmodium vivax.
“Malaria control programs incorporating artemisinin combination therapy have contributed to a decline in malaria morbidity and mortality worldwide, renewing interest in global eradication,” researcher Moses Laman, BMSc, MBBS, MMSc, PhD, of the University of Western Australia, and colleagues wrote. “However, in geo-epidemiologic settings outside of sub-Saharan African where there is transmission of multiple Plasmodium species, P. vivax remains a major obstacle to eradication because of its complex life cycle and transmission biology.”
Moses Laman
Using an open-label, randomized, parallel-group study design, the researchers compared efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine and artemisinin-naphthoquine among 186 children with P. falciparum and 47 with P. vivax. Study participants, aged 6 months to 5 years, received either six doses of artemether-lumefantrine over 3 days or three daily doses of artemisinin-naphthoquine. Children were followed for 42 days.
Both artemisinin combination therapies were safe and well-tolerated, according to researchers.
Among children with P. falciparum, artemether-lumefantrine had an adequate clinical and parasitologic response of 97.8% and artemisinin-naphthoquine had a response of 100% (P=.24).
Adequate clinical and parasitologic responses among children with P. vivax were 30% for artemether-lumefantrine and 100% for artemisinin-naphthoquine (P<.001).
“The efficacy, tolerability and safety of three daily doses of artemisinin-naphthoquine suggest that this regimen should be considered together with other currently available effective [artemisinin combination therapies] for treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Papua New Guinea and similar epidemiologic settings with transmission of multiple Plasmodium species,” Laman and colleagues concluded.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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