Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate-amodiaquine, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and artesunate-pyronaridine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Mozambique, 2022

Abstract Background Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and artesunate-amodiaquine (AS-AQ) are the first-line treatments against malaria in Mozambique. Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) has been used in-country for mass drug administration campaigns, and artesunate-pyronaridine (AS-PY) is considered an a...

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Main Authors: Abel Nhama, Arlindo Chidimatembue, Lídia Nhamussua, Quique Bassat, Clemente da Silva, Arsénio Nhacolo, Paulo Arnaldo, Crizolgo Salvador, Annette Cassy, Baltazar Candrinho, Mércia Dimene, Eva Carvalho, Abuchahama Saifodine, Flavio Wate, Hélio Mucavele, Yaritbel Torres-Mendoza, Breanna Horton, Mateusz Plucinski, Pau Cistero, Alfredo Mayor, Pedro Aide
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Malaria Journal
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-025-05473-9
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author Abel Nhama
Arlindo Chidimatembue
Lídia Nhamussua
Quique Bassat
Clemente da Silva
Arsénio Nhacolo
Paulo Arnaldo
Crizolgo Salvador
Annette Cassy
Baltazar Candrinho
Mércia Dimene
Eva Carvalho
Abuchahama Saifodine
Flavio Wate
Hélio Mucavele
Yaritbel Torres-Mendoza
Breanna Horton
Mateusz Plucinski
Pau Cistero
Alfredo Mayor
Pedro Aide
author_facet Abel Nhama
Arlindo Chidimatembue
Lídia Nhamussua
Quique Bassat
Clemente da Silva
Arsénio Nhacolo
Paulo Arnaldo
Crizolgo Salvador
Annette Cassy
Baltazar Candrinho
Mércia Dimene
Eva Carvalho
Abuchahama Saifodine
Flavio Wate
Hélio Mucavele
Yaritbel Torres-Mendoza
Breanna Horton
Mateusz Plucinski
Pau Cistero
Alfredo Mayor
Pedro Aide
author_sort Abel Nhama
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and artesunate-amodiaquine (AS-AQ) are the first-line treatments against malaria in Mozambique. Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) has been used in-country for mass drug administration campaigns, and artesunate-pyronaridine (AS-PY) is considered an alternative drug to delay AL resistance in the country. To assess whether AL and AS-AQ remain efficacious and to confirm that DP and AS-PY are potential alternatives for uncomplicated malaria treatment, an in vivo therapeutic efficacy study was conducted in Mozambique at five sentinel sites. Methods This study was conducted in the districts of Montepuez (AL), Dondo (AL and AS-AQ), Mopeia (AL and AS-PY), Moatize (AL and AS-AQ), and Massinga (AL and DP) following the 2009 World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended protocol. Patients aged 6 months to 11 years with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria (1000–200,000 parasites/µl) were enrolled, followed, and assessed for 28 days (AL and AS-AQ) or 42 days (DP and AS-PY). Genotyping for msp1/msp2/poly-α markers and match counting via the WHO/Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) 3/3 algorithm were used to differentiate recrudescences from new infections. The primary outcome was polymerase chain reaction corrected efficacy for each drug. Results In total, 828 participants were enrolled in the four study arms: AL (462), AS-AQ (183), DP (91), and AS-PY (92). Among the recruited participants, 10.2% (85/828) were lost to follow-up or withdrew, and 60 had recurrent malaria infections, 55 of which were considered new infections and five recrudescences. Day 28 corrected AL efficacy was 100% (95% CI 94.3–100) in Massinga, 100% in Dondo, 100% (95% CI 95.5–100) in Moatize, 97.63% (95% CI 94.4–100) in Mopeia, and 98.68% (95% CI 96.2–100) in Montepuez. Day 28 corrected AS-AQ efficacy was 100% in Dondo and 100% (95% CI 95.4–100) in Moatize. For DP, the corrected efficacy on day 42 was 100% (95% CI 94.1–100) in Massinga, and that on day 42 was 97.75% (95% CI 94.7–100) in Mopeia. All drugs were well tolerated, with adverse events reported in less than 2% of the participants. Conclusion AL and AS-AQ remain effective, as their efficacy remained above the 90% WHO-recommended cut-off. DP and AS-PY also showed therapeutic efficacy above the WHO-acceptable cut-off and could be used as first-line treatments when needed. All four artemisinin-based combinations were well tolerated, with minimal safety concerns. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05343312.
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spelling doaj-art-50873569156f46dd80f74b0fcf15c3e52025-08-20T03:45:47ZengBMCMalaria Journal1475-28752025-07-0124111510.1186/s12936-025-05473-9Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate-amodiaquine, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and artesunate-pyronaridine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Mozambique, 2022Abel Nhama0Arlindo Chidimatembue1Lídia Nhamussua2Quique Bassat3Clemente da Silva4Arsénio Nhacolo5Paulo Arnaldo6Crizolgo Salvador7Annette Cassy8Baltazar Candrinho9Mércia Dimene10Eva Carvalho11Abuchahama Saifodine12Flavio Wate13Hélio Mucavele14Yaritbel Torres-Mendoza15Breanna Horton16Mateusz Plucinski17Pau Cistero18Alfredo Mayor19Pedro Aide20Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM)Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM)Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM)Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM)Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM)Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM)Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Ministério da SaúdeInstituto Nacional de Saúde, Ministério da SaúdeInstituto Nacional de Saúde, Ministério da SaúdePrograma Nacional de Controlo da Malária, Ministério da SaúdePrograma Nacional de Controlo da Malária, Ministério da SaúdeComité Consultivo Técnico Para a Malária, Ministério da SaúdeUnited States President’s Malaria Initiative, United States Agency for International DevelopmentUnited States President’s Malaria Initiative, United States Agency for International DevelopmentUnited States President’s Malaria Initiative, United States Agency for International DevelopmentUS President’s Malaria Initiative and Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, US Centers for Disease Control and PreventionU.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionU.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionISGlobalCentro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM)Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM)Abstract Background Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and artesunate-amodiaquine (AS-AQ) are the first-line treatments against malaria in Mozambique. Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) has been used in-country for mass drug administration campaigns, and artesunate-pyronaridine (AS-PY) is considered an alternative drug to delay AL resistance in the country. To assess whether AL and AS-AQ remain efficacious and to confirm that DP and AS-PY are potential alternatives for uncomplicated malaria treatment, an in vivo therapeutic efficacy study was conducted in Mozambique at five sentinel sites. Methods This study was conducted in the districts of Montepuez (AL), Dondo (AL and AS-AQ), Mopeia (AL and AS-PY), Moatize (AL and AS-AQ), and Massinga (AL and DP) following the 2009 World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended protocol. Patients aged 6 months to 11 years with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria (1000–200,000 parasites/µl) were enrolled, followed, and assessed for 28 days (AL and AS-AQ) or 42 days (DP and AS-PY). Genotyping for msp1/msp2/poly-α markers and match counting via the WHO/Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) 3/3 algorithm were used to differentiate recrudescences from new infections. The primary outcome was polymerase chain reaction corrected efficacy for each drug. Results In total, 828 participants were enrolled in the four study arms: AL (462), AS-AQ (183), DP (91), and AS-PY (92). Among the recruited participants, 10.2% (85/828) were lost to follow-up or withdrew, and 60 had recurrent malaria infections, 55 of which were considered new infections and five recrudescences. Day 28 corrected AL efficacy was 100% (95% CI 94.3–100) in Massinga, 100% in Dondo, 100% (95% CI 95.5–100) in Moatize, 97.63% (95% CI 94.4–100) in Mopeia, and 98.68% (95% CI 96.2–100) in Montepuez. Day 28 corrected AS-AQ efficacy was 100% in Dondo and 100% (95% CI 95.4–100) in Moatize. For DP, the corrected efficacy on day 42 was 100% (95% CI 94.1–100) in Massinga, and that on day 42 was 97.75% (95% CI 94.7–100) in Mopeia. All drugs were well tolerated, with adverse events reported in less than 2% of the participants. Conclusion AL and AS-AQ remain effective, as their efficacy remained above the 90% WHO-recommended cut-off. DP and AS-PY also showed therapeutic efficacy above the WHO-acceptable cut-off and could be used as first-line treatments when needed. All four artemisinin-based combinations were well tolerated, with minimal safety concerns. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05343312.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-025-05473-9EfficacyArtemether-LumefantrineArtesunate-AmodiaquineDihydroartemisinin-PiperaquineArtesunate-PyronaridineUncomplicated malaria
spellingShingle Abel Nhama
Arlindo Chidimatembue
Lídia Nhamussua
Quique Bassat
Clemente da Silva
Arsénio Nhacolo
Paulo Arnaldo
Crizolgo Salvador
Annette Cassy
Baltazar Candrinho
Mércia Dimene
Eva Carvalho
Abuchahama Saifodine
Flavio Wate
Hélio Mucavele
Yaritbel Torres-Mendoza
Breanna Horton
Mateusz Plucinski
Pau Cistero
Alfredo Mayor
Pedro Aide
Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate-amodiaquine, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and artesunate-pyronaridine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Mozambique, 2022
Malaria Journal
Efficacy
Artemether-Lumefantrine
Artesunate-Amodiaquine
Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine
Artesunate-Pyronaridine
Uncomplicated malaria
title Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate-amodiaquine, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and artesunate-pyronaridine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Mozambique, 2022
title_full Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate-amodiaquine, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and artesunate-pyronaridine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Mozambique, 2022
title_fullStr Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate-amodiaquine, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and artesunate-pyronaridine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Mozambique, 2022
title_full_unstemmed Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate-amodiaquine, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and artesunate-pyronaridine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Mozambique, 2022
title_short Efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate-amodiaquine, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and artesunate-pyronaridine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Mozambique, 2022
title_sort efficacy of artemether lumefantrine artesunate amodiaquine dihydroartemisinin piperaquine and artesunate pyronaridine for the treatment of uncomplicated plasmodium falciparum malaria in mozambique 2022
topic Efficacy
Artemether-Lumefantrine
Artesunate-Amodiaquine
Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine
Artesunate-Pyronaridine
Uncomplicated malaria
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-025-05473-9
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