Publication: The assessment of antimalarial drug efficacy
Issued Date
2002-10-01
Resource Type
ISSN
14714922
Other identifier(s)
2-s2.0-0036790841
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Mahidol University
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SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Trends in Parasitology. Vol.18, No.10 (2002), 458-464
Suggested Citation
Nicholas J. White The assessment of antimalarial drug efficacy. Trends in Parasitology. Vol.18, No.10 (2002), 458-464. doi:10.1016/S1471-4922(02)02373-5 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/20192
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Title
The assessment of antimalarial drug efficacy
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Abstract
Antimalarial drug efficacy in uncomplicated malaria should be assessed parasitologically in large, community-based trials, enrolling the age groups most affected by clinical disease. For rapidly eliminated drugs, a 28-day follow-up is needed, but, for slowly eliminated drugs, up to nine weeks could be required to document all recrudescences, and, when possible, the drug levels should also be measured. The WHO 14-day assessments are neither sensitive nor specific. In tropical Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale infections treated with chloroquine, the first relapse is usually suppressed by residual drug levels. A relapse cannot be distinguished confidently from a recrudescence. Host immunity is a major contributor to the therapeutic response, and can make failing drugs appear effective.