A Trial to Compare the Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability of Combinations of 3 Anti-malarial Drugs Against Combinations of 2 Anti-malarial Drugs (Asia)

Subjects will be randomized to up to four arms: artemether-lumefantrine + amodiaquine, artemether-lumefantrine + placebo, artesunate-mefloquine + piperaquine and artesunate-mefloquine + placebo. As a contingency measure in case of significant differences in the efficacy or safety of one of the combinations being tested and/or study drug expiry or unavailability, subjects may be randomised to 2 arms with a matching ACT-TACT pair, i.e., with artemether-lumefantrine + placebo or artemether-lumefantrine + amodiaquine OR artesunate-mefloquine + placebo or artesunate-mefloquine + piperaquine.

Some sites may randomize between 2 arms only with matching ACT-TACT pairs, i.e., artemether-lumefantrine + placebo or artemether-lumefantrine + amodiaquine OR artesunate-mefloquine + placebo or artesunate-mefloquine + piperaquine.

In the control arms, the ACT will be co-packed with a matched (appearance) placebo.

In lower transmission settings (Annual Parasite Incidence <50 per 1000 population per year) the treatment will include a single 0.25 mg/kg gametocytocidal dose of primaquine as recommended by the WHO for children ≥10 kg. All drug administrations will be observed.

Subjects will be treated in an in-patient unit for 3 days and followed up weekly up to D63. Microscopy to detect and quantify malaria parasitaemia will be performed daily (more frequently in patients with parasite density of >5000/µL at inclusion) during hospitalization, at all weekly and unscheduled visits. A physical examination and measurements of vital signs along with a symptom questionnaire for tolerability will be performed and recorded through a standardized method at baseline, daily during admission and weekly during follow up through D42 and at all unscheduled visits. Physical exam, vital sign measurements and assessments of symptoms will be performed on D49, D56, and D63 only for patients who are parasitaemic or those who report fever or other symptoms. Electrocardiographs will be performed during admission (H0, H4, H52, or H64) and day 42 of follow up to assess and compare the effect of ACTs and TACTs antimalarials on QT or QTc-intervals.

The DeTACT-ASIA Trial is funded by UK Aid from the UK government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The FCDO project number is 300341-114.

Inclusion criteria

• Male or female, >/= 6 months
• Ability to take oral medication
• Acute uncomplicated P. falciparum monoinfection
• Asexual P. falciparum parasitaemia: 96 to 200,000/µL, determined on a peripheral blood film
• Fever defined as >/= 37.5°C tympanic temperature or a history of fever within the last 24 hours
• Written informed consent by the subject or parent/guardian in case of children lower than the age of consent and assent if required (per local regulations)
• Willingness and ability of the subjects or parents/guardians to comply with the study protocol for the duration of the study

Exclusion criteria

• Signs of severe malaria (adapted from WHO criteria)
• Patients not fulfilling criteria for severe malaria but with another indication for parenteral antimalarial treatment at the discretion of the treating physician
• Haematocrit < 20% at screening
• Subjects who have received artemisinin or a derivative within the previous 7 days OR lumefantrine or amodiaquine within the previous 14 days OR mefloquine or piperaquine within the previous 30 days
• Acute illness other than malaria requiring systemic treatment
• Severe acute malnutrition
• Known HIV infection
• Known tuberculosis infection
• For females: pregnant, trying to get pregnant or are lactating
• History of allergy or known contraindication to any of the study drugs, including neuropsychiatric disorders and epilepsy
• Previous splenectomy
• Enrolment in DeTACT in the previous 3 months
• Participation in another interventional study in the previous 3 months

Criteria for severe malaria

• Impaired consciousness (Glasgow Coma Scale, Blantyre Coma Scale)
• Prostration
• Respiratory distress (defined as maximal respiratory rate, by age)
• ≥2 convulsions in the past 24 hours
• Circulatory collapse
• Pulmonary edema
• Abnormal bleeding
• Visible jaundice
• Haemoglobinuria (blackwater)
• Hyperparasitaemia (>10%)