Artemether-lumefantrine dosing for malaria treatment in young children and pregnant women: A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic meta-analysis

by Frank Kloprogge, Lesley Workman, Steffen Borrmann, Mamadou T ékété, Gilbert Lefèvre, Kamal Hamed, Patrice Piola, Johan Ursing, Poul Erik Kofoed, Andreas Mårtensson, Billy Ngasala, Anders Björkman, Michael Ashton, Sofia Friberg Hietala, Francesca Aweeka, Sunil Parikh, Leah Mwai, Timothy M. E. Davis, Harin Karunajeewa, Sam Salman, Francesco Checchi, Carol e Fogg, Paul N. Newton, Mayfong Mayxay, Philippe Deloron, Jean François Faucher, François Nosten, Elizabeth A. Ashley, Rose McGready, Michele van Vugt, Stephane Proux, Ric N. Price, Juntra Karbwang, Farkad Ezzet, Rajesh Bakshi, Kasia Stepniewska, Nicholas J. White, Philippe J. Guerin, Karen I. Bar nes, Joel Tarning BackgroundThe fixed dose combination of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) is the most widely used treatment for uncomplicatedPlasmodium falciparum malaria. Relatively lower cure rates and lumefantrine levels have been reported in young children and in pregnant women during their second and third trimester. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of lumefantrine and the pharmacokinetic properties of its metabolite, desbutyl-lumefantrine, in order to inform optimal dosing regimens in all patient populations. Methods and findingsA search in PubMed, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, Google Scholar, conference proceedings, and the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) pharmacology database identified 31 relevant clinical studies published between 1 January 1...
Source: PLoS Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Source Type: research