Optimization of treatment for vivax malaria in pregnancy: population pharmacokinetics of artemisinin-based combination therapy

Malaria is an infectious disease that is distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions, causing more than 200 million people to suffer from malaria annually worldwide. Not only is there a high risk of contracting malaria during pregnancy, but infection is known to have adverse effects on both mother and baby. Approximately 100 million pregnant women live in malaria-endemic areas each year, and it is very important to prevent pregnant women from malaria and to appropriately treat pregnant women who contract malaria. However, not only malaria, but in general, drug research is rarely conducted in the minority group of pregnant women. Although some studies have reported lower drug concentrations with pregnancy, most have used therapeutic doses for the general adult population. The principal investigators of this study have previously reported a low therapeutic effect of antimalarial drugs during pregnancy. This low therapeutic effect may be the result of low drug blood levels, and revising the optimal therapeutic dose for pregnant women may result in a higher therapeutic effect. On the other hand, it is expected that side effects will occur more easily if the dose is too high, so an optimal balance is required. The purpose is specifically, through international joint research with the Oxford University Malaria Research Institute, population pharmacokinetic analysis was conducted to establish the optimal administration method for therapeutic drugs (antimalarial drugs) in pregnant women, and (especially vivax) malaria. Through longitudinal data analysis, we would like to clarify the effects of repeated recurrences on mothers and infants and their risk factors, and seek ways to reduce recurrences.

Project details

P. vivax
Vulnerable Populations

Jan 2021 — Dec 2023

$134,862

Japan