Oral fexinidazole for late-stage African Trypanosoma brucei gambiense trypanosomiasis: a pivotal multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority trial.

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Mesu VKBK, Kalonji WM, Bardonneau C, Mordt OV, Blesson S, Simon F, Delhomme S, Bernhard S, Kuziena W, Lubaki JF, Vuvu SL, Ngima PN, Mbembo HM, Ilunga M, Bonama AK, Heradi JA, Solomo JLL, Mandula G, Badibabi LK, Dama FR, Lukula PK, Tete DN, Lumbala C, Scherrer B, Strub-Wourgaft N, Tarral A

Oral fexinidazole for late-stage African Trypanosoma brucei gambiense trypanosomiasis: a pivotal multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority trial.

Lancet. 2018 Jan 13;391(10116):144-154. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32758-7. Epub 2017 Nov 4.

PubMed ID
29113731 [ View in PubMed
]
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Few therapeutic options are available to treat the late-stage of human African trypanosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease, caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (g-HAT). The firstline treatment is a combination therapy of oral nifurtimox and intravenous eflornithine that needs to be administered in a hospital setting by trained personnel, which is not optimal given that patients often live in remote areas with few health resources. Therefore, we aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of an oral regimen of fexinidazole (a 2-substituted 5-nitroimidazole with proven trypanocidal activity) versus nifurtimox eflornithine combination therapy in patients with late-stage g-HAT. METHODS: In this randomised, phase 2/3, open-label, non-inferiority trial, we recruited patients aged 15 years and older with late-stage g-HAT from g-HAT treatment centres in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (n=9) and the Central African Republic (n=1). Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive either fexinidazole or nifurtimox eflornithine combination therapy according to a predefined randomisation list (block size six). The funder, data management personnel, and study statisticians were masked to treatment. Oral fexinidazole was given once a day (days 1-4: 1800 mg, days 5-10: 1200 mg). Oral nifurtimox was given three times a day (days 1-10: 15 mg/kg per day) with eflornithine twice a day as 2 h infusions (days 1-7: 400 mg/kg per day). The primary endpoint was success at 18 months (ie, deemed as patients being alive, having no evidence of trypanosomes in any body fluid, not requiring rescue medication, and having a cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count

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