Study to Compare the Triple ACT AL+AQ With the ACT AL in Cambodia and Vietnam

"The study of artemether-lumefantrine or artemether-lumefantrine combined with amodiaquine will be a two-arm randomized open label comparative study. The main activity proposed is a series of detailed in vivo clinical, parasitological and pharmacological assessments in 600 subjects across 2 sites in Cambodian (400 subjects) and 2 sites in Vietnam (200 subjects). The subjects will be randomized between the ACT artemether-lumefantrine and the TACT artemether-lumefantrine+amodiaquine. Parasite clearance rates will be assessed by repeated assessments of the parasite counts after the start of the antimalarial treatments. Efficacy, safety and tolerability of ACTs and TACTs will be assessed through weekly follow up visits where vital signs, symptom questionnaires, physical examinations, blood smears, biochemistry assays and full blood counts will be performed. Ex vivo assessments of parasite susceptibility to artemisinins and partner drugs will be measured and compared to historical data, clinical phenotype and other sites in an effort to identify artemisinin and partner drug resistance. This study will obtain data on the effect of antimalarials on the corrected QT intervals. In addition, the effects of antimalarials on factors such as post-treatment haematocrit and haemoglobin levels will be assessed. Extensive pharmacokinetic analysis will allow for an assessment of drug-drug interactions. Plasma histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) levels (a marker of parasite biomass) that could potentially serve for the estimation of parasitaemia dynamics before and after treatment will be measured and subsequently modelled."