Artemether-lumefantrine: Pediatric formulations for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum

Abstract

Over a thousand deaths per day are exhibited due to malaria in infants and children under five years of age across the world. Despite this, there are no satisfactory World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed pediatric anti-malarial formulations available including all age groups. Artemisinin-based combination therapy is the current standard of care for patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria in many African countries. Artemether/lumefantrine meets WHO prequalification criteria for efficacy, safety and quality. Coartem®, a fixed dose combination of artemether and lumefantrine, has consistently achieved cure rates of >95% in clinical trials. However, AL tablets are inconvenient for caregivers to administer as they need to be crushed and mixed with water or food for infants and young children. Besides, like other antimalarials, they have a bitter taste, which may result in children spitting the medicine out and not receiving the full therapeutic dose. There is a clear unmet medical need for a formulation of Artemether/lumefantrine specifically designed for infants and children in all age groups.