Abstract

ASSI Serge-Brice, OFFIANAN AT, OUATTARA L, ZIKA KD, AOURA Carine Y. J, KADJO Marie-Ange K. Jocelyne, SILUE Y. Ali, LINGUE Kouadio Norbert, COULIBALY Yalamoussa, ADON SD and ADOUBRYN KD

Efficacy and safety of Artemether-Lumefantrine (AL) and Artesunate-Amodiaquine (AS-AQ) used as first line in malaria treatment were assessed in northern Côte d’Ivoire. A non-comparative therapeutic efficacy test of AL and AS-AQ in the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in children and adults was conducted from February to September 2019, in two sentinel sites. The WHO standard therapeutic efficacy test for monitoring antimalarial drug efficacy was used with Adequate Clinical and Parasitological Response (ACPR) corrected by PCR at day 28 as primary outcomes. Secondary endpoints were parasite and fever clearance times. A total of 119 patients were included in the trial with 59 treated with AL and 60 treated with AS-AQ. Per protocol analysis on day 28 showed a PCR-corrected cure rate of 100% (95% CI, 93.4-100.0) and 100% (95%CI, 93.2-100.0) for AL and AS-AQ, respectively. At day 3, three patients in the AL group presented a fever and all patients treated with AS-AQ were apyretic. Delayed parasite clearance was observed in three patients in the AL group and one patient in the AS-AQ group. Both ACTs remain efficacious and well-tolerated for uncomplicated falciparum malaria treatment in northern Côte d’Ivoire. However, due to delayed parasite clearance observed, close monitoring of efficacy is essential.