Title |
The clinical efficacy of artemether/lumefantrine (Coartem®)
|
---|---|
Published in |
Malaria Journal, October 2009
|
DOI | 10.1186/1475-2875-8-s1-s5 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Michael Makanga, Srivicha Krudsood |
Abstract |
Current World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria recommend the use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Artemether/lumefantrine is an ACT prequalified by the WHO for efficacy, safety and quality, approved by Swissmedic in December 2008 and recently approved by the USA FDA. Coartem is a fixed-dose combination of artemether and lumefantrine. Its two components have different modes of action that provide synergistic anti-malarial activity. It is indicated for the treatment of infants, children and adults with acute, uncomplicated infection due to Plasmodium falciparum or mixed infections including P. falciparum. A formulation with improved palatability has been developed especially for children (Coartem Dispersible), which rapidly disperses in a small amount of water for ease of administration. The efficacy of the six-dose regimen of artemether/lumefantrine has been confirmed in many different patient populations around the world, consistently achieving 28-day PCR (polymerase chain reaction)-corrected cure rates of >95% in the evaluable population, rapidly clearing parasitaemia and fever, and demonstrating a significant gametocidal effect, even in areas of widespread parasite resistance to other antimalarials. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Portugal | 1 | <1% |
Switzerland | 1 | <1% |
Tanzania, United Republic of | 1 | <1% |
Vietnam | 1 | <1% |
Mali | 1 | <1% |
Kenya | 1 | <1% |
Brazil | 1 | <1% |
United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
Belgium | 1 | <1% |
Other | 0 | 0% |
Unknown | 164 | 95% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 31 | 18% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 20 | 12% |
Student > Bachelor | 19 | 11% |
Researcher | 18 | 10% |
Other | 12 | 7% |
Other | 29 | 17% |
Unknown | 44 | 25% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 42 | 24% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 23 | 13% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 23 | 13% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 10 | 6% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 5 | 3% |
Other | 21 | 12% |
Unknown | 49 | 28% |