TES of Artemether-lumefantrine for Pf in the Philippines in 2017-2018

The emergence and spread of drug resistance is a major obstacle to combating malaria. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that regular efficacy monitoring should be undertaken by all malaria endemic countries that have deployed artemisinin combination therapy (ACT), to help early detection of drug resistant strains of the parasite and contain their rapid spread. Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) has been the first-line antimalarial drug against uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the Philippines since 2009, with primaquine as an anti-relapse drug. The objective of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum infections in the Philippines. The study was conducted in three (3) municipalities (Bataraza, Brooke's Point, and Rizal) of Palawan. Single-arm prospective study of a 28-day follow-up was conducted from February 2017 to December 2018 according to the revised WHO 2014 drug efficacy study protocol. Study subjects were consenting individuals seeking care at the selected Rural Health Units, who were aged \>6 months old to 59 years old with confirmed uncomplicated P. falciparum infections. AL was administered for 3 days according to body weight (Days 0, 1 and 2) and primaquine 0.75 mg/kg body weight single dose was given on Day 3 following the National Treatment Guidelines.