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Artemisinin derivatives for treating uncomplicated malaria
1Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, UK, L3 5QA. hmmc62@hotmail.co.uk
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|May 5, 2000
Summary
Artemisinin drugs offer effective and safe treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria, showing fast parasite clearance and high cure rates. Combination therapy, particularly with mefloquine, enhances sustained parasite clearance in drug-resistant areas.
Area of Science:
- Tropical medicine
- Pharmacology
- Infectious diseases
Background:
- Artemisinin derivatives represent a novel class of antimalarial drugs.
- Increasing resistance to existing antimalarials necessitates exploring alternative treatments like artemisinin derivatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of artemisinin drugs in treating uncomplicated falciparum malaria.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials.
- Inclusion of trials involving oral or suppository administration of artemisinin derivatives, alone or in combination.
- Independent assessment of trial eligibility and quality by two reviewers.
Main Results:
- Forty-one trials with over 5000 patients were analyzed, though study design variations posed synthesis challenges.
- Artemisinin drugs demonstrated rapid parasite clearance and high cure rates when treatment duration was adequate.
- Combination therapy with mefloquine improved sustained parasite clearance, especially in multidrug-resistant regions, and shortened treatment duration.
Conclusions:
- Artemisinin drugs are considered effective and safe for uncomplicated malaria treatment.
- No significant difference in efficacy was found among different artemisinin derivatives in randomized trials.
- Combination therapy with artemisinin derivatives is beneficial for sustained parasite clearance in cases of mefloquine resistance.