Amodiaquine, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, and combination therapy for uncomplicated falciparum malaria: a randomized controlled trial from Burkina Faso

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2005 Nov;73(5):826-32.

Abstract

Increasing resistance to chloroquine necessitates the evaluation of other antimalarial therapies in Africa. We compared the efficacies of amodiaquine (AQ), sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), and AQ + SP for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in a randomized trial of patients 6 months of age or older in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Of the 944 patients enrolled, 829 (88%; 53% under 5 years of age) were assigned 28-day efficacy outcomes. For all regimens, early treatment failures were uncommon (< 2%). Considering all treatment failures based on WHO criteria, AQ + SP was most efficacious (failures in 4.2%), followed by SP (9.1%) and AQ (17.9%; P < 0.02 for all pairwise comparisons). Considering only clinical failures, relative efficacies were similar (failures in 2.1% with AQ + SP, 6.5% with SP, and 13.2% with AQ; P < 0.02 for all pairwise comparisons). The risk of recrudescence was lower with AQ + SP (2.1%) compared with SP (6.1%, P = 0.02) and AQ (8.1%, P = 0.001). Risks of new infection were lower with AQ + SP (2.1%) and SP (2.4%) compared with AQ (9.1%, P < 0.001 for both comparisons). No serious adverse events were seen. AQ + SP appears to offer a highly effective, inexpensive, and available therapy for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Burkina Faso.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Amodiaquine / adverse effects
  • Amodiaquine / therapeutic use*
  • Animals
  • Antimalarials / adverse effects
  • Antimalarials / therapeutic use*
  • Burkina Faso
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Drug Combinations
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Malaria, Falciparum / drug therapy*
  • Malaria, Falciparum / parasitology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pyrimethamine / adverse effects
  • Pyrimethamine / therapeutic use*
  • Sulfadoxine / adverse effects
  • Sulfadoxine / therapeutic use*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Drug Combinations
  • Amodiaquine
  • fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination
  • Sulfadoxine
  • Pyrimethamine