Safety and Efficacy of Different Regimens of Primaquine on Vivax Malaria Treatment in Glucose 6-phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficient Patients

This is an open-label, randomized, phase II, clinical trial of safety and efficacy. Patients will be screened for eligibility and treated at the Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr Heitor Vieira Dourado in Manaus and the Centro de Pesquisa em Medicina Tropical (Cepem) in Porto Velho, Brazil. A total of 104 vivax malaria patients will be recruited into the study, 52 G6PD deficient (Arm 1) and 52 G6PD normal (Arm 2). Patients with spectrophotometrically-confirmed G6PD deficiency (10-60% of adjusted mean male activity) will be divided into three subgroups of 10 patient each. All arms will receive standard 3-day chloroquine course. Additionally, Arm 1a will receive a delayed course of primaquine for 7 days, starting only at the fifth-day post-chloroquine initiation [ARM HALTED DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS]. Arm 1b will receive weekly primaquine, once a week, for 8 weeks. Arm 1c will receive prophylactic 12-week course of chloroquine, as recommended by national guidelines for such patients (control group in terms of safety). Arm 2, the control group of efficacy, will receive standard regimen, comprised of 3-day chloroquine plus concomitant 7-day primaquine. All patients will receive directly observed therapy (DOT) and will be closely monitored for clinical parameters and laboratory markers of hemolysis including hemoglobin, methemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, haptoglobin, reticulocytes, indirect bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, and urinalysis. All groups will be followed for 6 months after treatment to assess relapse rate. Primary endpoint is the tolerability of the regimens defined by hemoglobin fall. Secondary endpoints include treatment failure (relapse during follow-up), frequency of adverse effects, and rate of hemoglobin fall during treatment.