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Journal article

Split dosing of artemisinins does not improve antimalarial therapeutic efficacy

Abstract:
It has been suggested recently, based on pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling exercises, that twice daily dosing of artemisinins increases malaria parasite killing and so could "dramatically enhance and restore drug effectiveness" in artemisinin resistant P. falciparum malaria infections. It was recommended that split dosing should be incorporated into all artemisinin combination regimen designs. To explain why parasite clearance rates were not faster with split dose regimens it was concluded that splenic malaria parasite clearance capacity was readily exceeded, resulting in the accumulation of dead parasites in the circulation, that parasite clearance was therefore an unreliable measure of drug efficacy, and instead that human immunity is the primary determinant of clearance rates. To test these various hypotheses we performed a logistic meta-regression analysis of cure rates from all falciparum malaria treatment trials (n = 40) with monotherapy arms containing artemisinin or a derivative (76 arms). There was no evidence that split dosing enhanced cure rates.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1038/s41598-017-12483-4

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
NDM
Sub department:
Tropical Medicine
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
Medical Sciences Division
Department:
NDM; Tropical Medicine
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
Medical Sciences Division
Department:
NDM; Tropical Medicine
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Journal:
Scientific Reports More from this journal
Volume:
7
Issue:
12132
Pages:
1-5
Publication date:
2017-09-21
Acceptance date:
2017-09-06
DOI:
ISSN:
2045-2322
Pmid:
28935919


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
pubs:732944
UUID:
uuid:7ac5b4ff-fd19-4fd2-a664-c3c96045397f
Local pid:
pubs:732944
Source identifiers:
732944
Deposit date:
2017-10-10

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