Assessment of the ability of artemether-lumefantrine and dihydroartemisinin – piperaquine to treat simple malaria in children in Uganda
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN15793046 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN15793046 |
| Protocol serial number | Protocol version 1.2 |
| Sponsor | Uganda Ministry of Health |
| Funders | The World Bank, Ministry of Health, Uganda |
- Submission date
- 17/08/2015
- Registration date
- 20/10/2015
- Last edited
- 14/01/2020
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Infections and Infestations
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Malaria is a serious infectious disease which is common in tropical and subtropical countries. It is caused by a microscopic parasite which is spread from person to person by mosquitos. There are a lot of different drugs which are used to treat malaria, which are often used in combination with each other. The aim of this study is to compare the success of two different drug combinations (the drug combination dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (AP), and the drug combination artemether-lumefantrine (AL) when treating malaria in young children.
Who can participate?
Children suffering from fever living within the catchment areas of the trial centres
What does the study involve?
The children involved in the study are randomly split into two groups. The first group is treated with AP and the second group is treated with AL. For the first three days after the treatment, the children’s temperature is measured to check for signs of a fever. Blood samples are taken from the children on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 so the success of the drugs can be found out by looking at the levels of the parasites and how many of different types of blood cells are in the blood.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Potential benefits for participants include the good quality care that they receive from medical officers and nurses while taking part in the study. There are no direct risks of participating in the study, other than known or unknown side effects of the medications being provided.
Where is the study run from?
1. Aura Hospital (Uganda)
2. Mbarara Hosptial (Uganda)
3. Nagongera Health Centre IV (Uganda)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
September 2015 to September 2017
Who is funding the study?
1. Ministry of Health (Uganda)
2. The World Bank (USA)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Adoke Yeka
yadoke@yahoo.com
Contact information
Scientific
Makerere University School of Public Health
College of Health Sciences
Kampala
-
Uganda
| Phone | +256 772 473533 |
|---|---|
| yadoke@yahoo.com |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Multi-centre single-blinded randomised parallel trial. |
| Secondary study design | Randomised parallel trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine and dihydroartemisinin – piperaquine for treatment of uncomplicated malaria in children in Uganda |
| Study objectives | The risk of treatment failure unadjusted by genotyping will be lower in the dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine arm compared to the artemether-lumefantrine arm at each of the sites. |
| Ethics approval(s) | 1. Makerere University School of Public Health Research Higher Degrees Research and Ethics Committee, 10/06/2015, ref: 205 2. Uganda National Council of Science and Technology, 26/06/2015, ref: HS 1356 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Malaria |
| Intervention | Subjects who meet the selection criteria will be randomized to treatment with artemether-lumefantrine (AL) or dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) and will be followed for 42 days. Repeat evaluations will be performed on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 (and any unscheduled days) and will include assessment for the occurrence of adverse events. |
| Intervention type | Drug |
| Phase | Phase IV |
| Drug / device / biological / vaccine name(s) | 1. Dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine 2. Artemether-lumefantrine |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
1. Risk of parasitological treatment failure (Early Treatment Failure (ETF) |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
1. Prevalence of fever (defined as both subjective fever in the previous 24 hours and measured axillary temperature greater than 37.5ºC) on follow-up days 1, 2, and 3 |
| Completion date | 01/09/2017 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Child |
| Lower age limit | 6 Months |
| Upper age limit | 59 Months |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 600 |
| Total final enrolment | 599 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Age 6 – 59 months 2. Fever (> 37.5ºC axillary) or history of fever in the previous 24 hours 3. Ability to participate in 42-day follow-up (patient has easy access to health unit) |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Weight < 5 kg 2. History of serious side effects to study medications 3. Concomitant febrile illness or presence of intercurrent illness or any condition (cardiac, renal, hepatic diseases) which would place the subject at undue risk or interfere with the results of the study 4. Treatment with antimalarial drugs (ACTs) already started and ongoing prophylaxis with drugs having antimalarial activity such as cotrimoxazole for the prevention of Pneumocisti carini pneumonia in children born to HIV+ women. 5. Severe malnutrition (defined as weight for height <70% of the median NCHS/WHO reference) 6. Danger signs or evidence of severe malaria: 6.1. Unarousable coma (if after convulsion, > 30 min) 6.2. Recent convulsions (1-2 within 24 h) 6.3. Altered consciousness (confusion, delirium, psychosis, coma) 6.4. Lethargy 6.5. Unable to drink or breast feed 6.6. Vomiting everything 6.7. Unable to stand/sit due to weakness 6.8. Severe anemia (Hb < 5.0 gm/dL) 6.9. Respiratory distress (labored breathing at rest) 6.10. Jaundice 7. Severe malnutrition (defined as a child whose growth standard is below –3 z-score, has symmetrical oedema involving at least the feet or has a mid-upper arm circumference < 110 mm). 8. Regular medication, which may interfere with antimalarial pharmacokinetic 9. History of hypersensitivity reactions or contraindications to any of the medicine(s) being tested or used as alternative treatment(s) |
| Date of first enrolment | 15/09/2015 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/03/2017 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Uganda
Study participating centres
East Africa Public Health Laboratory Network (EAPHLN) site
-
Uganda
East Africa Public Health Laboratory Network (EAPHLN) site
-
Uganda
Uganda Malaria Surveillance Project (UMSP) sentinel site
-
Uganda
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | results | 15/03/2019 | 14/01/2020 | Yes | No |
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Editorial Notes
14/01/2020: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. Publication reference added.
2. The total final enrolment was added.
