Efficacy of six doses of artemether-lumefantrine (benflumetol) in multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1999 Jun;60(6):936-42. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1999.60.936.

Abstract

The new oral fixed combination artemether-lumefantrine (CGP 56697) has proved to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment of multi-drug resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria, although cure rates using the four-dose regimen have been lower than with the currently recommended alternative of artesunate-mefloquine. Two six-dose schedules (total adult dose = 480 mg of artemether and 2,880 mg of lumefantrine) were therefore compared with the previously used four-dose regimen (320 mg of artemether and 1,920 mg of lumefantrine) in a double-blind trial involving 359 patients with uncomplicated multidrug-resistant falciparum malaria. There were no differences between the three treatment groups in parasite and fever clearance times, and reported adverse effects. The two six-dose regimens gave adjusted 28-day cure rates of 96.9% and 99.12%, respectively, compared with 83.3% for the four-dose regimen (P < 0.001). These six-dose regimens of artemether-lumefantrine provide a highly effective and very well-tolerated treatment for multidrug-resistant falciparum malaria.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Clinical Trial, Phase III
  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Antimalarials / administration & dosage
  • Antimalarials / adverse effects
  • Antimalarials / standards
  • Antimalarials / therapeutic use*
  • Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination
  • Artemisinins*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • DNA, Protozoan / blood
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Drug Combinations
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple
  • Ethanolamines
  • Female
  • Fluorenes / administration & dosage
  • Fluorenes / adverse effects
  • Fluorenes / standards
  • Fluorenes / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Malaria, Falciparum / drug therapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Plasmodium falciparum / drug effects*
  • Recurrence
  • Sesquiterpenes / administration & dosage
  • Sesquiterpenes / adverse effects
  • Sesquiterpenes / standards
  • Sesquiterpenes / therapeutic use*
  • Thailand

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination
  • Artemisinins
  • DNA, Protozoan
  • Drug Combinations
  • Ethanolamines
  • Fluorenes
  • Sesquiterpenes