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EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF ß-ARTEETHER AND /ß-ARTEETHER FOR TREATMENT OF ACUTE PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM MALARIA

One hundred thirty-eight adult patients with acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria were randomized to receive either ß-arteether or /ß-arteether. The drugs were administered in the dose of 150 mg once a day intramuscularly for three consecutive days in hospitalized patients. After one week of hospitalization, patients were followed-up for three weeks after release from the hospital. There was no statistically significant difference between cure rates, mean fever clearance time (FCT), mean parasite clearance time (PCT), and occurrence of side effects in either group. The cure rate was 97.14% for ß-arteether and 97.01 for /ß-arteether (P = 0.9660). The mean PCT was 38.49 hours for ß-arteether and 36.90 hours for /ß-arteether (P = 0.6054), and the mean FCT was 37.27 hours for ß-arteether and 37.9 hours for /ß-arteether (P = 0.8718). Both arteether formulations were safe and efficacious in reducing the clinical symptoms of acute falciparum malaria. There was also rapid clearance of parasitemia with both formulations. Thus, either ß-arteether or /ß-arteether can be used in the treatment of acute falciparum malaria.

Received December 16, 2005. Accepted for publication February 23, 2006.

Acknowledgments: We thank C. Y. Nimkar for data analysis, and Geeta S. Naik for technical assistance.

Financial support: The study was supported by Ipca Laboratories Ltd. (Mumbai, India).

Disclosure: This study was sponsored by IPCA Laboratories Ltd., which markets both ß-arteether and /ß-arteether injections. Anil Pareek is associated with this company as senior vice president of clinical research and medical affairs. This statement is made in the interest of full disclosure and not because the authors consider this to be a conflict of interest.

^* Address correspondence to Anil Pareek, Clinical Research Department, Ipca Laboratories Ltd., 142 AB, Kandivli Industrial Estate, Kandivli (West), Mumbai, India. E-mail: anilpareek{at}ipca.co.in

Authors’ addresses: Anil Pareek, Clinical Research Department, Ipca Laboratories Ltd., 142 AB, Kandivli Industrial Estate, Kandivli (West), Mumbai, India, Telephone: 91-22-5647-4641, Fax: 91-22 2868-6954, E-mail: anilpareek{at}ipca.co.in. Amitabha Nandy, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 4/1C, Pitambar Ghatak Lane, Kolkata, India. Dhanpat Kochar, Cerebral Malaria Research Laboratory, S. P. Medical College, Bikaner, India. K. H. Patel, Department of Medicine, Medical College and SSG Hospital, Baroda, India. S. K. Mishra, Ispat General Hospital, Rourkela Steel Plant, Rourkela, India. P. C. Mathur, G. R. Medical College, Gwalior, India.

Reprint requests: Anil Pareek, Clinical Research Department, Ipca Laboratories Ltd., 142 AB, Kandivli Industrial Estate, Kandivli (West), Mumbai, India.

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