Comparison of artesunate–mefloquine and artemether–lumefantrine fixed-dose combinations for treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children younger than 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa: a randomised, multicentre, phase 4 trial
WHO recommends combinations of an artemisinin derivative plus an antimalarial drug of longer half-life as treatment options for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum infection. In Africa, artemether–lumefantrine is the most widely used artemisinin-based combination therapy, whereas artesunate–mefl oquine is used infrequently because of a perceived poor tolerance to mefl oquine. WHO recommends reconsideration of the use of artesunate– mefl oquine in Africa. We compared the effi cacy and safety of fi xed-dose artesunate–mefl oquine with that of artemether– lumefantrine for treatment of children younger than 5 years with uncomplicated P falciparum malaria.