EXALT: Extended Duration Artemether-lumefantrine Treatment for Malaria in Children

Sponsor

University of California, San Francisco (Other)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT03453840

Collaborator

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (NIH), Yale University (Other), Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Uganda (Other)

305

Enrollment

Locations

Arms

22.6

Actual Duration (Months)

152.5

Patients Per Site

6.7

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

This project will determine the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) of an extended artemether-lumefantrine (AL) dosing regimen in HIV-infected children on efavirenz (EFV)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) that is designed to improve the PK exposure and treatment efficacy of this artemisinins-based combination therapy (ACT) regimen. Our overarching goal is to inform the best treatment guidelines for young children in Africa. HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected children will be enrolled for intensive PK studies, as well as additional children for population PK studies to enhance association analyses with clinical outcomes.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Uncomplicated Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria	Drug: Artemether-lumefantrine	Phase 4

Detailed Description

This is a prospective multi-site study to evaluate the PK/PD of extended duration AL in HIV-infected children on EFV-based ART and HIV-uninfected children not on ART. AL is the first-line treatment for malaria in Uganda. No change in standard of care treatment will be made for the purposes of this study except for the extension of AL to 5-day dosing. This study will enroll a) HIV-infected children, and b) HIV-uninfected children. All participants may be enrolled through Tororo District Hospital (TDH) or Masafu General Hospital (MGH) in Busia, or other referral centers the area. we will use a design where children will be randomized to either 3-day or 5-day AL and then for subsequent episodes of malaria, should they occur. Conservatively, assuming each enrolled child participates for only a single episode of malaria, up to 60 (30 HIV-infected on 3-day and 30 HIV-infected on 5-day) and 100 (50 HIV-uninfected on 3-day and 50 HIV-uninfected on 5-day) subjects will be enrolled for each of the intensive study groups. Up to 100 (50 HIV-infected on 3-day and 50 HIV-infected on 5-day) and 120 (60 HIV-uninfected on 3-day and 60 HIV-uninfected on 5-day) subjects will be enrolled for each of the population study groups. Comparisons of AL PK exposure will be made among and between a) HIV-infected children with malaria receiving EFV-based ART and b) HIV-uninfected children who are not on ART. Comparisons will be based on an intensive PK design for AL area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) estimations. Population PK study will be combined with intensive PK studies to allow for optimal PK-outcomes assessments.

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Actual Enrollment :

305 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Parallel Assignment

Intervention Model Description:

This is a prospective multi-site study accomplished through a randomized design where children will be randomized to either 3-day or 5-day AL regimen and then for subsequent episodes of malaria, should they occur..This is a prospective multi-site study accomplished through a randomized design where children will be randomized to either 3-day or 5-day AL regimen and then for subsequent episodes of malaria, should they occur..

Masking:

None (Open Label)

Primary Purpose:

Treatment

Official Title:

Extended Duration Artemether-lumefantrine Treatment for Malaria in Children

Actual Study Start Date :

Feb 19, 2018

Actual Primary Completion Date :

Jan 9, 2020

Actual Study Completion Date :

Jan 9, 2020

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Active Comparator: HIV-infected 3-day AL Standard 3-day twice daily (BID) regimen of artemether-lumefantrine for uncomplicated malaria, given over 4 days (Study Days 0, 1, 2 and 3) so that sampling will begin in the morning of day 3. These participants are HIV-infected and stabilized on EFV-based ART.	Drug: Artemether-lumefantrine Children will receive the dispersible formulation of AL which contains 20 mg artemether, 120 mg of lumefantrine (Coartem® Dispersible). Weight-based dosing will be as below: <15kg, 1tablet; 15-25kg, 2 tablets; 25-35kg, 3 tablets; >=35kg, 4 tablets. Other Names: Coartem, AL
Experimental: HIV-infected 5-day AL Extended 5-day BID regimen of artemether-lumefantrine, given over 6 days (Study Days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) so that sampling will begin in the morning of day 5. These participants are HIV-infected and stabilized on EFV-based ART.	Drug: Artemether-lumefantrine Children will receive the dispersible formulation of AL which contains 20 mg artemether, 120 mg of lumefantrine (Coartem® Dispersible). Weight-based dosing will be as below: <15kg, 1tablet; 15-25kg, 2 tablets; 25-35kg, 3 tablets; >=35kg, 4 tablets. Other Names: Coartem, AL
Active Comparator: HIV-uninfected 3-day AL Standard 3-day BID regimen of artemether-lumefantrine for uncomplicated malaria, given over 4 days (Study Days 0, 1, 2 and 3) so that sampling will begin in the morning of day 3. These participants are HIV-uninfected.	Drug: Artemether-lumefantrine Children will receive the dispersible formulation of AL which contains 20 mg artemether, 120 mg of lumefantrine (Coartem® Dispersible). Weight-based dosing will be as below: <15kg, 1tablet; 15-25kg, 2 tablets; 25-35kg, 3 tablets; >=35kg, 4 tablets. Other Names: Coartem, AL
Experimental: HIV-uninfected 5-day AL Extended 5-day BID regimen of artemether-lumefantrine, given over 6 days (Study Days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) so that sampling will begin in the morning of day 5. These participants are HIV-uninfected.	Drug: Artemether-lumefantrine Children will receive the dispersible formulation of AL which contains 20 mg artemether, 120 mg of lumefantrine (Coartem® Dispersible). Weight-based dosing will be as below: <15kg, 1tablet; 15-25kg, 2 tablets; 25-35kg, 3 tablets; >=35kg, 4 tablets. Other Names: Coartem, AL

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC) for all drug analytes [Study day 0-day21]
AUC 8hr for artemether and dihydroartemisinin, AUC inf for lumefantrine.
Recurrent malaria following treatment by day 42 (recrudescence or new infection) [up to study day 42]
Recurrent malaria determined by microscopy (thick blood smears),loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), or rapid diagnostic test (RDT).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Safety of 5-day vs 3-day AL regimens evaluated via graded toxicity [study day 0-42]
We will record participants tolerance of AL using the NIH Division of AIDS Adult and Pediatric Toxicity Tables.
Prevalence of gametocytemia following treatment in 3-day vs 5-day AL regimens determined by thick blood smears [study day 0-42]
At varied time points, blood smears for the determination of parasitemia will be obtained.
Weight-for-age (WFA) associations with PK [study day 0]
weight-for-age is an indicator of nutrition status and decreased weight-for-age reflects the combination of chronic and acute protein-calorie malnutrition.
Height-for-age (HFA) associations with PK [study day 0]
chronic protein-calorie malnutrition resulting in slow linear growth (decreased height-for-age: HFA; stunting).
Weight-for-height (WFH) associations with PK [study day 0]
acute protein-calorie malnutrition resulting in weight loss or slow weight gain (decreased weight-for-height: WFH; wasting).
Diagnostic sensitivity of LAMP, HS-RDT, and microscopy for the detection of recurrent parasitemia [study day 0-42]
Using Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), highly sensitive Rapid Diagnostic Test (HS-RDT), and microscope to diagnose recurrent parasitemia.
Metabolomic measurements in HIV infected vs HIV uninfected children [study day 0-42]
Small-molecule metabolites, including metabolic intermediates, hormones and other signaling molecules, and secondary metabolites will be measured in plasma and reported as fold-change (e.g. infected vs uninfected). This is an exploratory study. The multiple measurements could be aggregated to fold-change.
Relationship between drug resistance and treatment failure [study day 0-42]
drug resistance will be accessed by molecular markers. Polymorphic markers will be typed using capillary electrophoresis.

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

6 Months to 10 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Inclusion Criteria:

1, All participants:

Residency within 60 km of the study clinics either at TDH or at MGH
Agreement to come to clinic for all follow-up clinical and PK evaluations
Provision of informed consent
Weight ≥6 kg
Presentation with uncomplicated falciparum malaria as indicated by positive smear for malaria parasites along with clinical evidence of infection (fever or history of fever in the past 24 hours)
Willingness to undergo intensive PK sampling and/or population PK sampling during episode(s) of malaria.

2 HIV-infected participants:

Confirmed HIV infection (positive rapid HIV test to be confirmed by Western Blot or HIV RNA after enrollment)
On stable EFV-based ART for at least 10 days prior to enrollment
Age 3 years to 10 years

3 HIV-uninfected participants:

Confirmed HIV negative test (negative rapid HIV test to be confirmed by Western Blot or HIV RNA after enrollment)
Age 6 months to 10 years

Exclusion Criteria:

History of significant comorbidities such as malignancy, active tuberculosis or other World Health Organization (WHO) stage 4 disease
Current infection with non-P. falciparum species
Receipt of any medications known to affect CYP450 metabolism (except ART) within 14 days of study enrollment (see 4.2.2)
Hemoglobin < 7.0 g/dL
For the population PK study, prior treatment for malaria within 14 days of enrollment
For the intensive PK study, prior treatment for malaria within 28 days of enrollment
Signs or evidence of complicated malaria, defined as unarousable coma or any two of the following symptoms: Recent febrile convulsions, altered consciousness, lethargy, unable to drink, unable to stand/sit due to weakness, severe anemia (Hb < 5.0 gm/dL), respiratory distress, jaundice (see Appendix D)
History of toxicity to AL

The following medications are disallowed within 3 weeks prior to receiving study drug:

Carbamazepine
Clarithromycin
Erythromycin (oral)
Ketoconazole
Phenobarbital
Phenytoin
Rifabutin
Rifampin
Halofantrine
Any other medication known to significantly affect CYP450 metabolism.
Grapefruit juice should be avoided during the study due to its potential effects on CYP3A4.

Contacts and Locations

Locations

	Site	City	State	Country	Postal Code
1	MGH campus	Busia		Uganda
2	IDRC- Tororo Research Clinic and Tororo District Hospital	Tororo		Uganda

Sponsors and Collaborators

University of California, San Francisco
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Yale University
Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Uganda

Investigators

Principal Investigator: Francesca Aweeka, Pharm. D, University of California, San Francisco
Principal Investigator: Sunil Parikh, M.D., MPH, Yale University School of Public Health