Atovaquone-proguanil compared with chloroquine and chloroquine-sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for treatment of acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the Philippines

This randomized, open-label clinical trial compared a fixed-dose combinatio n of atovaquone and proguanil (n = 55) with chloroquine (n = 23) or a combi nation of chloroquine, sulfadoxine, and pyrimethamine (n = 32) for treatmen t of acute falciparum malaria in the Philippines. Patients were hospitalize d for 28 days to ensure medication compliance and prevent reinfection. Atov aquone-proguanil produced a significantly higher cure rate (100%) compared with that for chloroquine (30.4%; P < .0001) or chloroquine-sulfadoxine-pyr imethamine (87.5%; P < .05), Treatments did not differ significantly with r espect to parasite clearance time (mean: 46.7 h for atovaquone-proguanil, 6 0.0 h for chloroquine, and 42.8 h for chloroquine-sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine ) or fever clearance time (mean, 38.8, 46.8, and 34.5 h, respectively). Adv erse events were typical of malaria symptoms; the most frequently reported events were vomiting (18% for atovaquone-proguanil, 17% for chloroquine, an d 9% for chloroquine-sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine), abdominal pain (15%, 17%, and 3%, respectively), anorexia (11%, 13%, and 0%, respectively), and heada che (6%, 17%, and 3%, respectively). Atovaquone-proguanil was well tolerate d and more effective than chloroquine or chloroquine-sulfadoxine-pyrimetham ine for treatment of multidrug-resistant falciparum malaria in the Philippi nes.