Dataset Information

Atovaquone-Proguanil in Combination With Artesunate to Treat Multidrug-Resistant P. falciparum Malaria in Cambodia: An Open-Label Randomized Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent artemisinin-combination therapy failures in Cambodia prompted a search for alternatives. Atovaquone-proguanil (AP), a safe, effective treatment for multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum (P.f.), previously demonstrated additive effects in combination with artesunate (AS).

Methods

Patients with P.f. or mixed-species infection (n = 205) in Anlong Veng (AV; n = 157) and Kratie (KT; n = 48), Cambodia, were randomized open-label 1:1 to a fixed-dose 3-day AP regimen +/-3 days of co-administered artesunate (ASAP). Single low-dose primaquine (PQ, 15 mg) was given on day 1 to prevent gametocyte-mediated transmission.

Results

Polymerase chain reaction-adjusted adequate clinical and parasitological response at 42 days was 90% for AP (95% confidence interval [CI], 82%-95%) and 92% for ASAP (95% CI, 83%-96%; P = .73). The median parasite clearance time was 72 hours for ASAP in AV vs 56 hours in KT (P < .001) and was no different than AP alone. At 1 week postprimaquine, 7% of the ASAP group carried microscopic gametocytes vs 29% for AP alone (P = .0001). Nearly all P.f. isolates had C580Y K13 propeller artemisinin resistance mutations (AV 99%; KT 88%). Only 1 of 14 treatment failures carried the cytochrome bc1 (Pfcytb) atovaquone resistance mutation, which was not present at baseline. P.f. isolates remained atovaquone sensitive in vitro but cycloguanil resistant, with a triple P.f. dihydrofolate reductase mutation.

Conclusions

Atovaquone-proguanil remained marginally effective in Cambodia (≥90%) with minimal Pfcytb mutations observed. Treatment failures in the presence of ex vivo atovaquone sensitivity and adequate plasma levels may be attributable to cycloguanil and/or artemisinin resistance. Artesunate co-administration provided little additional blood-stage efficacy but reduced post-treatment gametocyte carriage in combination with AP beyond single low-dose primaquine.

SUBMITTER: Wojnarski M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6736354 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Atovaquone-Proguanil in Combination With Artesunate to Treat Multidrug-Resistant <i>P. falciparum</i> Malaria in Cambodia: An Open-Label Randomized Trial.

Wojnarski Mariusz M Lon Chanthap C Vanachayangkul Pattaraporn P Gosi Panita P Sok Somethy S Rachmat Agus A Harrison Dustin D Berjohn Catherine M CM Spring Michele M Chaoratanakawee Suwanna S Ittiverakul Mali M Buathong Nillawan N Chann Soklyda S Wongarunkochakorn Saowaluk S Waltmann Andreea A Kuntawunginn Worachet W Fukuda Mark M MM Burkly Hana H Heang Vireak V Heng Thay Keang TK Kong Nareth N Boonchan Threechada T Chum Bolin B Smith Philip P Vaughn Andrew A Prom Satharath S Lin Jessica J Lek Dysoley D Saunders David D

Open forum infectious diseases 20190904 9

<h4>Background</h4>Recent artemisinin-combination therapy failures in Cambodia prompted a search for alternatives. Atovaquone-proguanil (AP), a safe, effective treatment for multidrug-resistant <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> (<i>P.f.</i>), previously demonstrated additive effects in combination with artesunate (AS).<h4>Methods</h4>Patients with <i>P.f.</i> or mixed-species infection (n = 205) in Anlong Veng (AV; n = 157) and Kratie (KT; n = 48), Cambodia, were randomized open-label 1:1 to a fixed- ...[more]

PMID: 31660398

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundThe artemisinin-based combination treatment (ACT) of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and piperaquine (PQP) is a promising novel anti-malarial drug effective against multi-drug resistant falciparum malaria. The aim of this study was to show non-inferiority of DHA/PQP vs. artesunate-mefloquine (AS+MQ) in Asia.Methods and findingsThis was an open-label, randomised, non-inferiority, 63-day follow-up study conducted in Thailand, Laos and India. Patients aged 3 months to 65 years with Plasmodium falciparum mono-infection or mixed infection were randomised with an allocation ratio of 2:1 to a fixed-dose DHA/PQP combination tablet (adults: 40 mg/320 mg; children: 20 mg/160 [DOSAGE ERROR CORRECTED] mg; n = 769) or loose combination of AS+MQ (AS: 50 mg, MQ: 250 mg; n = 381). The cumulative doses of study treatment over the 3 days were of about 6.75 mg/kg of DHA and 54 mg/kg of PQP and about 12 mg/kg of AS and 25 mg/kg of MQ. Doses were rounded up to the nearest half tablet. The primary endpoint was day-63 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genotype-corrected cure rate. Results were 87.9% for DHA/PQP and 86.6% for AS+MQ in the intention-to-treat (ITT; 97.5% one-sided confidence interval, CI: >-2.87%), and 98.7% and 97.0%, respectively, in the per protocol population (97.5% CI: >-0.39%). No country effect was observed. Kaplan-Meier estimates of proportions of patients with new infections on day 63 (secondary endpoint) were significantly lower for DHA/PQP than AS+MQ: 22.7% versus 30.3% (p = 0.0042; ITT). Overall gametocyte prevalence (days 7 to 63; secondary endpoint), measured as person-gametocyte-weeks, was significantly higher for DHA/PQP than AS+MQ (10.15% versus 4.88%; p = 0.003; ITT). Fifteen serious adverse events were reported, 12 (1.6%) in DHA/PQP and three (0.8%) in AS+MQ, among which six (0.8%) were considered related to DHA/PQP and three (0.8%) to AS+MQ.ConclusionsDHA/PQP was a highly efficacious drug for P. falciparum malaria in areas where multidrug parasites are prevalent. The DHA/PQP combination can play an important role in the first-line treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria.Trial registrationControlled-Trials.com ISRCTN81306618.

Project description:BackgroundSevere malaria is a major cause of childhood death and often the main reason for paediatric hospital admission in sub-Saharan Africa. Quinine is still the established treatment of choice, although evidence from Asia suggests that artesunate is associated with a lower mortality. We compared parenteral treatment with either artesunate or quinine in African children with severe malaria.MethodsThis open-label, randomised trial was undertaken in 11 centres in nine African countries. Children (<15 years) with severe falciparum malaria were randomly assigned to parenteral artesunate or parenteral quinine. Randomisation was in blocks of 20, with study numbers corresponding to treatment allocations kept inside opaque sealed paper envelopes. The trial was open label at each site, and none of the investigators or trialists, apart from for the trial statistician, had access to the summaries of treatment allocations. The primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality, analysed by intention to treat. This trial is registered, number ISRCTN50258054.Findings5425 children were enrolled; 2712 were assigned to artesunate and 2713 to quinine. All patients were analysed for the primary outcome. 230 (8·5%) patients assigned to artesunate treatment died compared with 297 (10·9%) assigned to quinine treatment (odds ratio [OR] stratified for study site 0·75, 95% CI 0·63-0·90; relative reduction 22·5%, 95% CI 8·1-36·9; p=0·0022). Incidence of neurological sequelae did not differ significantly between groups, but the development of coma (65/1832 [3·5%] with artesunate vs 91/1768 [5·1%] with quinine; OR 0·69 95% CI 0·49-0·95; p=0·0231), convulsions (224/2712 [8·3%] vs 273/2713 [10·1%]; OR 0·80, 0·66-0·97; p=0·0199), and deterioration of the coma score (166/2712 [6·1%] vs 208/2713 [7·7%]; OR 0·78, 0·64-0·97; p=0·0245) were all significantly less frequent in artesunate recipients than in quinine recipients. Post-treatment hypoglycaemia was also less frequent in patients assigned to artesunate than in those assigned to quinine (48/2712 [1·8%] vs 75/2713 [2·8%]; OR 0·63, 0·43-0·91; p=0·0134). Artesunate was well tolerated, with no serious drug-related adverse effects.InterpretationArtesunate substantially reduces mortality in African children with severe malaria. These data, together with a meta-analysis of all trials comparing artesunate and quinine, strongly suggest that parenteral artesunate should replace quinine as the treatment of choice for severe falciparum malaria worldwide.FundingThe Wellcome Trust.

Project description:Pyronaridine-artesunate efficacy for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria was assessed in an area of artemisinin resistance in western Cambodia. This nonrandomized, single-arm, observational study was conducted between 2014 and 2015. Eligible patients were adults or children with microscopically confirmed P. falciparum infection and fever. Patients received pyronaridine-artesunate once daily for 3 days, dosed according to body weight. The primary outcome was an adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) on day 42, estimated by using Kaplan-Meier analysis, PCR adjusted to exclude reinfection. One hundred twenty-three patients were enrolled. Day 42 PCR-crude ACPRs were 87.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 79.7 to 92.6%) for the overall study, 89.8% (95% CI, 78.8 to 95.3%) for Pursat, and 82.1% (95% CI, 68.4 to 90.2%) for Pailin. Day 42 PCR-adjusted ACPRs were 87.9% (95% CI, 80.6 to 93.2%) for the overall study, 89.8% (95% CI, 78.8 to 95.3%) for Pursat, and 84.0% (95% CI, 70.6 to 91.7%) for Pailin (P = 0.353 by a log rank test). Day 28 PCR-crude and -adjusted ACPRs were 93.2% (95% CI, 82.9 to 97.4%) and 88.1% (95% CI, 75.3 to 94.5%) for Pursat and Pailin, respectively. A significantly lower proportion of patients achieved day 3 parasite clearance in Pailin (56.4% [95% CI, 43.9 to 69.6%]) than in Pursat (86.7% [95% CI, 76.8 to 93.8%]; P = 0.0019). Fever clearance was also extended at Pailin versus Pursat (P < 0.0001). Most patients (95.9% [116/121]) harbored P. falciparum kelch13 C580Y mutant parasites. Pyronaridine-artesunate was well tolerated; mild increases in hepatic transaminase levels were consistent with data from previous reports. Pyronaridine-artesunate efficacy was below the World Health Organization-recommended threshold at day 42 for medicines with a long half-life (90%) for first-line treatment of P. falciparum malaria in western Cambodia despite high efficacy elsewhere in Asia and Africa. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration number NCT02389439.).