NO EVIDENCE OF CARDIOTOXICITY OF ATOVAQUONE-PROGUANIL ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH ARTESUNATE

RAVINDRA K. GUPTA Department of Infection, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Thailand; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Centre for Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom

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MICHELE VAN VUGT Department of Infection, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Thailand; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Centre for Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom

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LUCY PAIPHUN Department of Infection, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Thailand; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Centre for Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom

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THRA SLIGHT Department of Infection, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Thailand; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Centre for Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom

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SORNCHAI LOOAREESUWAN Department of Infection, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Thailand; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Centre for Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom

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NICHOLAS J. WHITE Department of Infection, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Thailand; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Centre for Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom

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FRANÇOIS NOSTEN Department of Infection, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Thailand; Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Centre for Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom

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Combinations are set to become the mainstay in treatment and prophylaxis of malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum. Various antimalarials have been implicated in cardiotoxicity via prolongation of the QTc interval. Atovaquone-proguanil is an effective and increasingly popular antimalarial choice when used alone or with artesunate in areas of drug resistance. We report the results of an investigation carried out on the Thai-Burmese border in 42 patients randomized to receive either atovaquone-proguanil or atovaquone-proguanil-artesunate for three days. Electrocardiographic recordings were made at baseline and one hour after each dose. There was no statistically significant change in QTc interval between baseline and any subsequent readings in either treatment group or the cohort as a whole. We conclude that atovaquone-proguanil shows no evidence of cardiotoxicity either alone or when combined with artesunate.

Author Notes

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    van Vugt M, Ezzet F, Nosten F, Gathmann I, Wilairatna P, Looareesuwan S, White NJ, 1999. No evidence of cardiotoxicity during antimalarial treatment with artemether-lumefantrine. Am J Trop Med Hyg 61 :964–967.

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    ter Kuile F, Nosten F, Luxemburger C, Kyle D, Teja-Isavatharm P, Phaipun L, Price R, Chongsuphajaisiddhi T, White NJ, 1995. Mefloquine treatment of acute falciparum malaria: a prospective study of non-serious adverse effects in 3673 patients. Bull World Health Organ 73 :631–642.

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