Characterizing the pharmacological interaction of the antimalarial combination artefenomel-piperaquine in healthy volunteers with induced blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum to predict efficacy in patients with malaria

Abstract Background The combination antimalarial artefenomel-piperaquine failed to achieve target efficacy in a phase 2b study in Africa and Vietnam. We retrospectively evaluated whether characterizing the pharmacological interaction of this antimalarial combination in a volunteer infection study (V...

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Main Authors: Azrin N. Abd-Rahman, Daniel Kaschek, Anne Kümmel, Rebecca Webster, Adam J. Potter, Anand Odedra, Stephen D. Woolley, Stacey Llewellyn, Lachlan Webb, Louise Marquart, Stephan Chalon, Myriam El Gaaloul, James S. McCarthy, Jörg J. Möhrle, Bridget E. Barber
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Language:English
Published: BMC 2024-11-01
Series:BMC Medicine
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03787-0
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author Azrin N. Abd-Rahman
Daniel Kaschek
Anne Kümmel
Rebecca Webster
Adam J. Potter
Anand Odedra
Stephen D. Woolley
Stacey Llewellyn
Lachlan Webb
Louise Marquart
Stephan Chalon
Myriam El Gaaloul
James S. McCarthy
Jörg J. Möhrle
Bridget E. Barber
author_facet Azrin N. Abd-Rahman
Daniel Kaschek
Anne Kümmel
Rebecca Webster
Adam J. Potter
Anand Odedra
Stephen D. Woolley
Stacey Llewellyn
Lachlan Webb
Louise Marquart
Stephan Chalon
Myriam El Gaaloul
James S. McCarthy
Jörg J. Möhrle
Bridget E. Barber
author_sort Azrin N. Abd-Rahman
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The combination antimalarial artefenomel-piperaquine failed to achieve target efficacy in a phase 2b study in Africa and Vietnam. We retrospectively evaluated whether characterizing the pharmacological interaction of this antimalarial combination in a volunteer infection study (VIS) would have enabled prediction of the phase 2b study results. Methods Twenty-four healthy adults enrolled over three consecutive cohorts were inoculated with Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes on day 0. Participants were randomized within each cohort to one of seven dose combination groups and administered a single oral dose of artefenomel-piperaquine on day 8. Participants received definitive antimalarial treatment with artemether-lumefantrine upon parasite regrowth or on day 42 ± 2. The general pharmacodynamic interaction (GPDI) model implemented in the Bliss Independence additivity criterion was developed to characterize the pharmacological interaction between artefenomel and piperaquine. Simulations based on the model were performed to predict the outcomes of the phase 2b combination study. Results For a dose of 800 mg artefenomel administered with 640 mg, 960 mg, or 1440 mg piperaquine, the simulated adequate parasitological response at day 28 (APR28), incorporating actual patient pharmacokinetic (PK) data from the phase 2b trial, was 69.4%, 63.9%, and 74.8%, respectively. These results closely matched the observed APR28 in the phase 2b trial of 67.0%, 65.5%, and 75.4%, respectively. Conclusions These results indicate that VIS offer an efficient means for informing antimalarial combination trials conducted in the field, potentially expediting clinical development. Trial registration This study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on 11 May 2018 with registration number NCT03542149.
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spelling doaj-art-1ad787d5bda644748f24b01ed0c73bbd2025-08-20T02:49:17ZengBMCBMC Medicine1741-70152024-11-0122111410.1186/s12916-024-03787-0Characterizing the pharmacological interaction of the antimalarial combination artefenomel-piperaquine in healthy volunteers with induced blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum to predict efficacy in patients with malariaAzrin N. Abd-Rahman0Daniel Kaschek1Anne Kümmel2Rebecca Webster3Adam J. Potter4Anand Odedra5Stephen D. Woolley6Stacey Llewellyn7Lachlan Webb8Louise Marquart9Stephan Chalon10Myriam El Gaaloul11James S. McCarthy12Jörg J. Möhrle13Bridget E. Barber14QIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteIntiQuan GmbHIntiQuan GmbHQIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteQIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteQIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteQIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteQIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteQIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteQIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteMedicines for Malaria VentureMedicines for Malaria VentureQIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteMedicines for Malaria VentureQIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteAbstract Background The combination antimalarial artefenomel-piperaquine failed to achieve target efficacy in a phase 2b study in Africa and Vietnam. We retrospectively evaluated whether characterizing the pharmacological interaction of this antimalarial combination in a volunteer infection study (VIS) would have enabled prediction of the phase 2b study results. Methods Twenty-four healthy adults enrolled over three consecutive cohorts were inoculated with Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes on day 0. Participants were randomized within each cohort to one of seven dose combination groups and administered a single oral dose of artefenomel-piperaquine on day 8. Participants received definitive antimalarial treatment with artemether-lumefantrine upon parasite regrowth or on day 42 ± 2. The general pharmacodynamic interaction (GPDI) model implemented in the Bliss Independence additivity criterion was developed to characterize the pharmacological interaction between artefenomel and piperaquine. Simulations based on the model were performed to predict the outcomes of the phase 2b combination study. Results For a dose of 800 mg artefenomel administered with 640 mg, 960 mg, or 1440 mg piperaquine, the simulated adequate parasitological response at day 28 (APR28), incorporating actual patient pharmacokinetic (PK) data from the phase 2b trial, was 69.4%, 63.9%, and 74.8%, respectively. These results closely matched the observed APR28 in the phase 2b trial of 67.0%, 65.5%, and 75.4%, respectively. Conclusions These results indicate that VIS offer an efficient means for informing antimalarial combination trials conducted in the field, potentially expediting clinical development. Trial registration This study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on 11 May 2018 with registration number NCT03542149.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03787-0ArtefenomelPiperaquineAntimalarialCombinationVolunteer infection studyPharmacokinetics
spellingShingle Azrin N. Abd-Rahman
Daniel Kaschek
Anne Kümmel
Rebecca Webster
Adam J. Potter
Anand Odedra
Stephen D. Woolley
Stacey Llewellyn
Lachlan Webb
Louise Marquart
Stephan Chalon
Myriam El Gaaloul
James S. McCarthy
Jörg J. Möhrle
Bridget E. Barber
Characterizing the pharmacological interaction of the antimalarial combination artefenomel-piperaquine in healthy volunteers with induced blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum to predict efficacy in patients with malaria
BMC Medicine
Artefenomel
Piperaquine
Antimalarial
Combination
Volunteer infection study
Pharmacokinetics
title Characterizing the pharmacological interaction of the antimalarial combination artefenomel-piperaquine in healthy volunteers with induced blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum to predict efficacy in patients with malaria
title_full Characterizing the pharmacological interaction of the antimalarial combination artefenomel-piperaquine in healthy volunteers with induced blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum to predict efficacy in patients with malaria
title_fullStr Characterizing the pharmacological interaction of the antimalarial combination artefenomel-piperaquine in healthy volunteers with induced blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum to predict efficacy in patients with malaria
title_full_unstemmed Characterizing the pharmacological interaction of the antimalarial combination artefenomel-piperaquine in healthy volunteers with induced blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum to predict efficacy in patients with malaria
title_short Characterizing the pharmacological interaction of the antimalarial combination artefenomel-piperaquine in healthy volunteers with induced blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum to predict efficacy in patients with malaria
title_sort characterizing the pharmacological interaction of the antimalarial combination artefenomel piperaquine in healthy volunteers with induced blood stage plasmodium falciparum to predict efficacy in patients with malaria
topic Artefenomel
Piperaquine
Antimalarial
Combination
Volunteer infection study
Pharmacokinetics
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03787-0
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