Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2001 Dec; 65(6): 690-5.

Artemisinin for treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria: is there a place for monotherapy?

Giao PT, Binh TQ, Kager PA, Long HP, Van Thang N, Van Nam N, de Vries PJ.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The efficacy of artemisinin monotherapy was studied in 227 patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria. They all received artemisinin at t = 0 hr, t = 8 hr, and thereafter once daily; treatment was extended at random until they had taken either 5 days of artemisinin followed by 2 days of placebo (A5), or 7 days (A7) of artemisinin. The adult artemisinin dose was 500 mg; children aged < 15 years received 10 mg/kg per dose. The median (range) parasite clearance time was 39 (8-112) hr for A5 and 43 (38-104) hr for A7 (P = 0.085). The recrudescence rates were similar between the groups. The lowest parasite count achieved during treatment (Pterm) was associated with the occurrence of recrudescence (P = 0.046, Cox regression model); it was lower for patients with a radical cure or late recrudescence than for early recrudescence (P = 0.034, t-test). Artemisinin monotherapy may offer rapid recovery and fast parasite clearance, but recrudescence is frequent. Extending the duration of monotherapy from 5 days to 7 days does not reduce recrudescence.