The Lancet infectious diseases
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Comparison of artesunate-mefloquine and artemether-lumefantrine fixed-dose combinations for treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children younger than 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa: a randomised, multicentre, phase 4 trial.
WHO recommends combinations of an artemisinin derivative plus an antimalarial drug of longer half-life as treatment options for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum infection. In Africa, artemether-lumefantrine is the most widely used artemisinin-based combination therapy, whereas artesunate-mefloquine is used infrequently because of a perceived poor tolerance to mefloquine. WHO recommends reconsideration of the use of artesunate-mefloquine in Africa. We compared the efficacy and safety of fixed-dose artesunate-mefloquine with that of artemether-lumefantrine for treatment of children younger than 5 years with uncomplicated P falciparum malaria. ⋯ Agence Française de Développement, France; Department for International Development, UK; Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands; European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership; Fondation Arpe, Switzerland; Médecins Sans Frontières; Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Switzerland.