title: Open label randomized comparison of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and artesunate-amodiaquine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in central Vietnam.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Artesunate-amodiaquine (AAQ) is efficacious for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Africa, but little is known about its efficacy in Southeast Asia. We compared the efficacy of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHP) and AAQ against falciparum malaria in central Vietnam.
  
  
  METHODS
  Open, randomized clinical trial of 116 patients (36 children aged 6-14 years, 80 adults aged 15-60 years) were randomly allocated a 3-day course of either DHP (approximately 2.3 mg/kg dihydroartemisinin plus approximately 18.5 mg/kg of piperaquine per day) or AAQ (approximately 4.4 mg/kg of artesunate plus approximately 10.6 mg/kg of amodiaquine per day). The follow-up period was 42 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two drug combinations were well tolerated by all age groups with no obvious drug associated adverse events. Of the patients who completed 42 days of follow-up, 49 were on DHP (15 children, 34 adults) and 49 were on AAQ (14 children, 35 adults). The 42 day cure rates adjusted for reinfection identified by PCR genotyping for the two groups were similar [100% (49/49) and 98% (48/49) for DHP and AAQ, respectively]. With fewer reinfections, DHP appears to possess greater post-treatment prophylactic activity than AAQ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AAQ, an inexpensive artemisinin-based combination, could be an additional option to DHP for the treatment of multidrug-resistant falciparum malaria in Vietnam.
authors.affiliation: Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Nguyen Xuan
authors.initials: NX
authors.lastname: Thanh
authors.forename: Trieu Nguyen
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Trung
authors.forename: Nguyen Chinh
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Phong
authors.forename: Nguyen Xuan
authors.initials: NX
authors.lastname: Thien
authors.forename: Bui
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: G Dennis
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Shanks
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chavchich
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Edstein