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NCT Number: NCT05750459

Pharmacokinetic Study of IV Artesunate to Treat Children With Severe Malaria

This clinical study is a phase 4, single-site, open-label pharmacokinetic (PK) study of IV artesunate in up to 100 Ugandan children 6 months-14 years of age who are diagnosed with severe malaria according to standardized World Health Organization (WHO) criteria (any P. falciparum parasitemia and the presence of danger signs). Participants will receive the standard of care IV artesunate for initial treatment of severe malaria per WHO guidelines: children weighing <20 kg should receive 3.0 mg/kg/dose compared to children weighing =20 kg who should receive 2.4 mg/kg/dose, at times 0, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours (WHO 2015). Parenteral treatment will be administered for a minimum of 24 hours (irrespective of the patient's ability to tolerate oral medication earlier), after which patients will be evaluated clinically and assessed for ability for oral intake of antimalarials. Children who are able to transition to oral antimalarial therapy will initiate a 3-day course of artemisinin-combination oral therapy per national guidelines. The primary objective of the study is to determine the relationship between DHA exposures following IV artesunate dosing and markers of physiologic dysfunction associated with severe malaria in Ugandan children.

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Key information

Age range

6 month–14 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 4

Primary location

Makerere University-Infectious Diseases Institute

Kampala, Uganda

About this study

This clinical study is a phase 4, single-site, open-label pharmacokinetic (PK) study of IV artesunate in up to 100 Ugandan children 6 months-14 years of age who are diagnosed with severe malaria according to standardized World Health Organization (WHO) criteria (any P. falciparum parasitemia and the presence of danger signs). Participants will receive the standard of care IV artesunate for initial treatment of severe malaria per WHO guidelines: children weighing <20 kg should receive 3.0 mg/kg/dose compared to children weighing =20 kg who should receive 2.4 mg/kg/dose, at times 0, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours (WHO 2015). Parenteral treatment will be administered for a minimum of 24 hours (irrespective of the patient's ability to tolerate oral medication earlier), after which patients will be evaluated clinically and assessed for ability for oral intake of antimalarials. Children who are able to transition to oral antimalarial therapy will initiate a 3-day course of artemisinin-combination oral therapy per national guidelines. Biomarkers of physiologic dysfunction will be quantified at regular intervals, including serum lactate, serum glucose, total and direct bilirubin, bicarbonate levels, Blantyre Coma Score (BCS), creatinine and hemoglobin. These biomarkers will be considered both independently and together as a weighted score to relate to the PK of the active metabolite of IV artesunate, DHA and to efficacy markers that more accurately reflect clinical outcomes. We will also quantify P. falciparum parasitemia using standardized thick blood smear and relate this outcome to DHA dose and exposure for comparison with historical studies. Children 6 months to 14 years of age living in or near Tororo District, Uganda, who are diagnosed with severe malaria and who meet inclusion and exclusion criteria will be enrolled.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Children ages 6 months-14 years at the time of severe malaria diagnosis, inclusive
  • Meet the case definition for severe malaria, per WHO standardized guidelines
  • Parent/guardian willing to provide informed consent
  • Assent for children between 8 and 14 years who are conscious and otherwise able to provide assent, inclusive

Exclusion criteria

  • Receipt of > 24 hours of artemisinin therapy

Treatment and study plan

Artesunate

Drug

Artesunate is a succinic ester of artemether.

Primary outcomes

  1. Maximum Concentration (Cmax) of Dihydroartemisinin (DHA)

    Time frame: Day 1(Sampling windows were defined as 0 (pre-dose), 0-1 hour, 1 - 2.5, 2.5-4, 4-6 and 6-24 hours post first on-study dose of IV artesunate)

    Population Pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling was conducted to derive Cmax from the concentration of DHA. The final model fit was a 1-compartment disposition of DHA with covariates for age and baseline bilirubin.

  2. Area Under the Curve Over 0-12 Hours (AUC0-12) of DHA

    Time frame: Day 1(Sampling windows were defined as 0 (pre-dose), 0-1 hour, 1 - 2.5, 2.5-4, 4-6 and 6-24 hours post first on-study dose of IV artesunate)

    Population PK modeling was conducted to derive AUC0-12 from the concentration of DHA. The final model fit was a 1-compartment disposition of DHA with covariates for age and baseline bilirubin.

    Day 1 (Sampling windows were defined as 0 (pre-dose), 0-1 hour, 1 - 2.5, 2.5-4, 4-6 and 6-24 hours post first on-study dose of IV artesunate)

  3. Half-life (t1/2) of DHA

    Time frame: Day 1 (Sampling windows were defined as 0 (pre-dose), 0-1 hour, 1 - 2.5, 2.5-4, 4-6 and 6-24 hours post first on-study dose of IV artesunate)

    Population PK modeling was conducted to derive t1/2 from the concentration of DHA. The final model fit was a 1-compartment disposition of DHA with covariates for age and baseline bilirubin.

  4. Time to Cmax (Tmax) of DHA

    Time frame: Day 1(Sampling windows were defined as 0 (pre-dose), 0-1 hour, 1 - 2.5, 2.5-4, 4-6 and 6-24 hours post first on-study dose of IV artesunate)

    Population Pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling was conducted to derive PK parameters from the concentration of DHA. The final model fit was a 1-compartment disposition of DHA with covariates for age and baseline bilirubin. From the simulation, the Tmax was assumed to be 0 as the simulation replicates artesunate administered as an IV bolus directly into the central compartment.

  5. Change From Baseline in Temperature in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Temperature was recorded approximately every 6 hours until 6 hours post-parasite clearance and at least daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in temperature was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK Parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, and t1/2) and temperature. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time to first hospital discharge had models fit and were assessed for significance for temperature.

  6. Change From Baseline in Temperature in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Temperature was recorded approximately every 6 hours until 6 hours post-parasite clearance and at least daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in temperature was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, and t1/2) and temperature. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time to first hospital discharge had models fit and were assessed for significance for temperature.

  7. Change From Baseline Systolic Blood Pressure (BP) in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Systolic BP was recorded approximately every 6 hours until 6 hours post-parasite clearance and at least daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in systolic BP was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, and t1/2) and systolic BP. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, thus these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time to first hospital discharge had models fit and were assessed for significance for systolic BP.

  8. Change From Baseline Systolic BP in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Systolic BP was recorded approximately every 6 hours until 6 hours post-parasite clearance and at least daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in systolic BP was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, and t1/2) and systolic BP. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, thus these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time to first hospital discharge had models fit and were assessed for significance for systolic BP.

  9. Change From Baseline Diastolic BP in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Diastolic BP was recorded approximately every 6 hours until 6 hours post-parasite clearance and at least daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in diastolic BP was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and diastolic BP. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time to first hospital discharge had models fit and were assessed for significance for diastolic BP.

  10. Change From Baseline Diastolic BP in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Diastolic BP was recorded approximately every 6 hours until 6 hours post-parasite clearance and at least daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in diastolic BP was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, and t1/2) and diastolic BP. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, thus these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time to first hospital discharge had models fit and were assessed for significance for diastolic BP.

  11. Change From in Venous Serum Lactate in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Serum lactate was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in serum lactate was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and serum lactate. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for serum lactate.

  12. Change From in Venous Serum Lactate in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Serum lactate was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in serum lactate was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and serum lactate. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for serum lactate.

  13. Change From Baseline in Serum Bicarbonate in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Serum bicarbonate was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in serum bicarbonate was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and serum bicarbonate. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for serum bicarbonate.

  14. Change From Baseline in Serum Bicarbonate in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Serum bicarbonate was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in serum bicarbonate was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and serum bicarbonate. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for serum bicarbonate.

  15. Change From Baseline in Serum Glucose in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Serum glucose was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in serum glucose was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and serum glucose. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for serum glucose.

  16. Change From Baseline in Serum Glucose in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Serum glucose was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in serum glucose was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and serum glucose. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for serum glucose.

  17. Change From Baseline in Total Bilirubin in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Total bilirubin was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in total bilirubin was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and total bilirubin. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for total bilirubin.

  18. Change From Baseline in Total Bilirubin in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Total bilirubin was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in total bilirubin was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and total bilirubin. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for total bilirubin.

  19. Change From Baseline in Direct Bilirubin in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Direct bilirubin was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in direct bilirubin was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and direct bilirubin. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for direct bilirubin.

  20. Change From Baseline in Direct Bilirubin in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Direct bilirubin was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in direct bilirubin was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and direct bilirubin. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for direct bilirubin.

  21. Change From Baseline in Hemoglobin in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Hemoglobin was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in hemoglobin was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and hemoglobin. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for hemoglobin.

  22. Change From Baseline in Hemoglobin in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Hemoglobin was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in hemoglobin was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and hemoglobin. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for hemoglobin.

  23. Change From Baseline in Creatinine in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Creatinine was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in creatinine was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and creatinine. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for creatinine.

  24. Change From Baseline in Creatinine in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Creatinine was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. Change from baseline in creatinine was reported at pre-defined timepoints: 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Primary exposure-response analyses were performed to assess the relationship between DHA PK parameters (AUC0-12, Cmax, t1/2) and creatinine. Many participants did not have unique measurements collected for each of the four timepoints defined, therefore these participants were using the same values at multiple timepoints. To meet the independence assumption of the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure, only 24-hours post-first IV artesunate and time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing had models fit and were assessed for significance for creatinine.

  25. DHA AUC0-12 Summary Statistics for Participants With Blantyre Coma Score (BCS) of 1 in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA AUC0-12 for BCS score of 1 by timepoint are presented.

  26. DHA AUC0-12 Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 4 in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA AUC0-12 for BCS score of 4 by timepoint are presented.

  27. DHA AUC0-12 Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 5 in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA AUC0-12 for BCS score of 5 by timepoint are presented.

  28. DHA AUC0-12 Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 4 in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    BCS is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA AUC0-12 for BCS score of 4 by timepoint are presented. Only participants who were assessed a BCS of 4 are shown.

  29. DHA AUC0-12 Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 5 in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA AUC0-12 for BCS score of 5 by timepoint are presented.

  30. DHA Cmax Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 1 in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA Cmax for BCS score of 1 by timepoint are presented.

  31. DHA Cmax Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 4 in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA Cmax for BCS score of 4 by timepoint are presented.

  32. DHA Cmax Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 5 in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA Cmax for BCS score of 5 by timepoint are presented.

  33. DHA Cmax Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 4 in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA Cmax for BCS score of 4 by timepoint are presented. Only participants who were assessed a BCS of 4 are shown.

  34. DHA Cmax Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 5 in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA Cmax for BCS score of 5 by timepoint are presented.

  35. DHA t1/2 Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 1 in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA t1/2 for BCS score of 1 by timepoint are presented.

  36. DHA t1/2 Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 4 in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA t1/2 for BCS score of 4 by timepoint are presented.

  37. DHA t1/2 Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 5 in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA t1/2 for BCS score of 5 by timepoint are presented.

  38. DHA t1/2 Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 4 in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA t1/2 for BCS score of 4 by timepoint are presented. Only participants who were assessed a BCS of 4 are shown.

  39. DHA t1/2 Summary Statistics for Participants With BCS of 5 in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Baseline, 24 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, 48 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose, Time of completion of planned IV Artesunate dosing (72 hours post-first IV Artesunate dose), and Time of first hospital discharge (up to day 9)

    Blantyre coma scale is an ordinal scale designed to assess malarial coma in children. Eye movement, best motor response, and best verbal response were assessed and scored. The total BCS score was then calculated as the sum of the scores for these three assessments with possible values of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Lower BCS values were indicative of impaired consciousness. BCS was recorded daily until discharge along with scheduled follow-up visits. The number of participants in each BCS were reported at pre-defined timepoints: baseline, 24 and 48 hours post-first IV artesunate, time of completion of planned IV artesunate dosing, and time of first hospital discharge. Due to the lack of variability in BCS scores, proportional odds mixed effects models to assess the relationship between BCS scores and each PK exposure parameter were not conducted. Instead, summary statistics of DHA t1/2 for BCS score of 5 by timepoint are presented.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Time to Hospital Discharge in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Day 1 through Day 9

    Dates and times of hospital admittance and discharge for each participant were collected for calculation of time to hospital discharge. Time to hospital discharge was defined as the time in days from initial participant admission to the time of first discharge. Time to hospital discharge was calculated using the actual dates and times of initial participant admission and first discharge and was rounded to the nearest tenths place.

  2. Time to Hospital Discharge in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Day 1 through Day 9

    Dates and times of hospital admittance and discharge for each participant were collected for calculation of time to hospital discharge. Time to hospital discharge was defined as the time in days from initial participant admission to the time of first discharge. Time to hospital discharge was calculated using the actual dates and times of initial participant admission and first discharge and was rounded to the nearest tenths place.

  3. Parasite (Plasmodium Falciparum) Density in Thick Blood Smear in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Day 1 through Day 7 (Samples were collected according to the following schedule post-first on-study dose of IV artesunate in hours: 0, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours, and at least every 24 hours until clearance.)

    Parasite clearance as calculated from parasite density over time, as measured by thick blood smear. Parasite density is defined as the number of parasites per 200 white blood cells (WBCs). Parasite clearance half-life (PCT50) and parasite clearance time to 90% reduction (PCT90) were estimated using the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) parasite clearance estimator (PCE) algorithm.

  4. Parasite (P. Falciparum) Density in Thick Blood Smear in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Day 1 through Day 7 (Samples were collected according to the following schedule post-first on-study dose of IV artesunate in hours: 0, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours, and at least every 24 hours until clearance.)

    Parasite clearance as calculated from parasite density over time, as measured by thick blood smear. Parasite density is defined as the number of parasites per 200 white blood cells (WBCs). Parasite clearance half-life (PCT50) and parasite clearance time to 90% reduction (PCT90) were estimated using the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) parasite clearance estimator (PCE) algorithm.

  5. Number of Participants With Parasite (P. Falciparum) Clearance in the Primary Analysis Population

    Time frame: Day 1 through Day 7 (Samples were collected according to the following schedule post-first on-study dose of IV artesunate in hours: 0, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours, and at least every 24 hours until clearance.)

    Total parasite clearance was defined as the first negative thick blood smear (i.e., a thick blood smear for which there were no detectable P. falciparum parasites per 200 WBC) after a participant's last positive blood smear for P. falciparum. The date and time of total parasite clearance was defined as the collection date and time of the first thick blood smear to meet the definition of parasite clearance. Total parasite clearance by Day 2 was defined as a binary variable indicating whether total parasite clearance occurred within the first 50 hours post-first on-study dose of IV artesunate.

  6. Number of Participants With Parasite (P. Falciparum) Clearance in the Subset Who Did Not Receive Any IV Artesunate or Other Artemisinin-based Therapy Before Enrollment

    Time frame: Day 1 through Day 7 (Samples were collected according to the following schedule post-first on-study dose of IV artesunate in hours: 0, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours, and at least every 24 hours until clearance.)

    Total parasite clearance was defined as the first negative thick blood smear (i.e., a thick blood smear for which there were no detectable P. falciparum parasites per 200 WBC) after a participant's last positive blood smear for P. falciparum. The date and time of total parasite clearance was defined as the collection date and time of the first thick blood smear to meet the definition of parasite clearance. Total parasite clearance by Day 2 was defined as a binary variable indicating whether total parasite clearance occurred within the first 50 hours post-first on-study dose of IV artesunate.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Nih

Registry information

Official study title

Exposure-Response Evaluation of IV Artesunate in Children With Severe Malaria

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Mar 1, 2023
Registry last updated
Jun 18, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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