A Trial of Combination Antimalarial Therapies in Children from Papua New Guinea

In this open-label study of four regimens (chloroquine–sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine, artesunate–sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine, dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine, and artemether–lumefantrine) to treat children with malaria in Papua New Guinea, artemether–lumefantrine was found to be the most efficacious for treating falciparum malaria, and dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine the most efficacious for vivax malaria. In this open-label study of four regimens to treat children with malaria in Papua New Guinea, artemether–lumefantrine was found to be the most efficacious for treating falciparum malaria and dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine the most efficacious for vivax malaria. Antimalarial therapy underpins strategies to control and eradicate malaria. 1 The progression of resistance of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax to conventional agents including chloroquine and sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend artemisinin-based combination therapy as the first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria. 2 Because various artemisinin derivatives are similarly effective at initiating parasite clearance, the choice between available artemisinin-based combination therapies should be based on local parasite resistance to the partner drug with the longer half-life. 2 In parts of Oceania and Asia, such as Papua New Guinea, with hyperendemic or holoendemic transmission of P. falciparum similar to that . . .