Artemisinin-based combinations.

Journal article

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Artemisinin-based combination treatments have been the mainstay of treatment for falciparum malaria in Southeast Asia for more than 10 years and are now increasingly recommended as first-line treatment throughout the rest of the world. RECENT FINDINGS: A large multicentre randomised trial conducted in East Asia has shown a 35% reduction in mortality from severe malaria following treatment with parenteral artesunate compared with quinine. There is increasing evidence that artemisinin-based combination treatments are safe and rapidly effective. Artemether-lumefantrine (six doses) has been shown to be very effective in large trials reported from Uganda and Tanzania. A once daily three-dose treatment of dihydroartemisinin piperaquine, a newer fixed combination, was a highly efficacious and well tolerated treatment for multi-drug resistant falciparum malaria in Southeast Asia. SUMMARY: Early diagnosis and treatment of uncomplicated malaria with effective drugs remains a priority as part of a comprehensive malaria control strategy. Artemisinin-based combination treatments have consistently been shown to be highly effective and safe. The challenge is to make them accessible in tropical countries.

Authors: Ashley, E; White, N

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Current opinion in infectious diseases
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 531-536
• Publication date: 2005-12-01
• DOI: 10.1097/01.qco.0000186848.46417.6c
• EISSN: 1473-6527
• ISSN: 0951-7375
• Language: English
• Keywords: Adult; Antimalarials; Fluorenes; Drug Therapy, Combination; Treatment Outcome; Plasmodium falciparum; Malaria, Falciparum; Sesquiterpenes; Pregnancy; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic; Female; Animals; Clinical Trials as Topic; Child, Preschool; Artemisinins; Ethanolamines; Child; Humans