MedPath

Improving PRegnancy Outcomes With Intermittent preVEntive Treatment in Africa

Phase 3
Completed
Conditions
Pregnancy
Malaria in Pregnancy
Malaria
Interventions
Registration Number
NCT03208179
Lead Sponsor
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Brief Summary

This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of monthly intermittent preventive treatment using dihydroartemisinin piperaquine (DP) alone or in combination with azithromycin (AZ) compared to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) for the prevention of malaria in pregnant women in the second and third trimester.

Detailed Description

Intermittent preventive treatment with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) is one of the pillars of malaria prevention in pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to prompt case management and use of long lasting insecticide treated bednets. However, mounting resistance to SP by Plasmodium falciparum increasing renders IPTP-SP ineffective.

Two exploratory trials in Uganda and Kenya demonstrated that IPTp with DP was superior to IPTp-SP for the prevention of malaria infection in pregnancy. However, neither study was adequately powered to look at adverse birth outcomes. This study is a confirmatory efficacy trial in Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya to determine the efficacy and safety of IPTp with DP alone or in combination with AZ.

This will be a 3-arm trial, superiority, partial blinded, placebo controlled, randomized trial comparing IPTp with SP, versus IPTp with DP alone, and IPTp with DP+AZ with the following hypotheses:

* IPTp with DP is superior to IPTp with SP in preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes.

* The combination of DP with AZ further reduces adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to IPTp with DP alone.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
4680
Inclusion Criteria
  • Pregnant women between 16-28 weeks' gestation
  • Viable singleton pregnancy
  • Resident of the study area
  • Willing to adhere to scheduled and unscheduled study visit procedures
  • Willing to deliver in a study clinic or hospital
  • Provide written informed consent
Read More
Exclusion Criteria
  • Multiple pregnancies (i.e. twin/triplets)
  • HIV-positive
  • Known heart ailment
  • Severe malformations or non-viable pregnancy if observed by ultrasound
  • History of receiving IPTp-SP during this current pregnancy
  • Unable to give consent
  • Known allergy or contraindication to any of the study drugs
Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
IPTp-SPsulphadoxine-pyrimethamineStat course of 3 tablets of quality-assured SP (tablets of 500 mg of sulphadoxine and 25 mg of pyrimethamine) at each scheduled antenatal visit
IPTp-DPAZdihydroartemisinin-piperaquine plus azithromycinDihydroartemisinin-piperaquine \[3 to 5 tablets of DP (tablets of 40 mg of dihydroartemisinin and 320 mg of piperaquine, based on bodyweight) daily for 3 days\] + AZ tablet \[1.5g over 3 days as 500mg per day\] at each scheduled antenatal visit.
IPTp-DPdihydroartemisinin-piperaquineDihydroartemisinin-piperaquine \[3 to 5 tablets of DP (tablets of 40 mg of dihydroartemisinin and 320 mg of piperaquine, based on bodyweight) daily for 3 days\] + placebo AZ at each scheduled antenatal visit
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Adverse pregnancy outcome8 months

Composite of foetal loss (spontaneous abortion or stillbirth), or singleton live births born small-for-gestational age (SGA), or with low birthweight (LBW), or preterm (PT) (SGA-LBW-PT), or subsequent neonatal death by day 28.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
LBW6 months

Low birth weight defined as a corrected birth weight below 2.5 kg

Placental malaria detected by molecular methods (PCR)6 months from randomisation

Prevalence of placental malaria detected in maternal placental blood by PCR

QTc-prolongation6 months from randomisation

QTcF-prolongation of more than 60ms between baseline DTcF prior to first dose of DP (+/- AZ) on day 0 and repeat QTcF 4 - 6 hrs after administration of 3rd dose of DP(+/- AZ) on day 2, or QTcF \> 480ms, 4 - 6 hours after on day 2 treatment administration. Only on the DP containing arms.

Congenital malformations6 months from randomisation

Any visible external congenital abnormality on surface examination

Other SAEs and AEs8 months from randomisation

Incidence of AEs and SAEs

(History of) vomiting study drug6 months from randomisation

Prevalence and incidence of vomiting investigational product (IP) twice at the same IP administration visit

Molecular markers of drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum infections during pregnancy and delivery6 months from randomisation

Prevalence and incidence of SP and artemisinin resistance markers from infection isolates after enrollment and at delivery

Neonatal length and stunting8 months

Neonatal length and stunting

Maternal nutritional status6 months from randomisation

Changes in maternal nutritional status by MUAC and BMI.

Maternal anaemia during pregnancy and delivery6 months from randomisation

Prevalence and incidence of maternal anaemia (Hb \< 11g/dl) at enrolment, last antenatal visit and delivery

Congenital anaemia6 months from randomisation

Prevalence of anaemia (Hb \< 13g/dl) from newborn cord blood

Composite of foetal loss and neonatal mortality8 months

Composite of foetal loss (spontaneous abortion or stillbirth) and neonatal mortality

SGA-LBW-PT composite6 months

Composite of small for gestational age, low birth weight or preterm birth

SGA6 months

Small for gestational age using the new INTERGROWTH population reference's 10th percentile

Congenital malaria infection6 months from randomisation

Prevalence of malaria infection by microscopy or PCR from newborn cord blood

Gastrointestinal complaints6 months from randomisation

Prevalence of gastrointestinal complaints after a course of IP

PT6 months

Preterm birth defined as birth at a gestational age above 28 weeks but less than 37 completed weeks

Placental malaria detected by microscopy6 months from randomisation

Prevalence of placental malaria detected in maternal placental blood by microscopy

Placental malaria detected by histology6 months from randomisation

Prevalence of placental malaria detected in full placental section by histology

Clinical malaria during pregnancy6 months from randomisation

Incidence of clinical malaria during pregnancy

Malaria infection during pregnancy detected by microscopy and PCR6 months from randomisation

Prevalence and incidence of peripheral maternal (blood) malaria infection during pregnancy by microscopy and PCR

Composite placental malaria detected by microscopy, by molecular methods or by histology6 months from randomisation

Prevalence of placental malaria by microscopy, PCR and placental histology

Maternal mortality8 months from randomisation

The death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.

Dizziness6 months from randomisation

Prevalence of dizziness after a course of IP

Changes in the colony composition of maternal vaginal microbiota, and intestinal microbiota of mother and infant.6 months from randomisation

Changes in maternal reproductive tract and gut microbiota from randomisation to last antenatal visit prior to delivery, and neonatal gut microbiota

Presence of STIs/RTIs prior to delivery (syphilis, gonorrhoea, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and bacterial vaginosis)6 months from randomisation

Prevalence and incidence of STIs/RTIs (syphilis, gonorrhoea, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and bacterial vaginosis) at randomization and last antenatal visit prior to delivery

Changes in macrolide resistance in Pneumococcus detected in maternal nasopharyngeal samples6 months from randomisation

Prevalence and incidence of carriage of macrolide resistant pneumococcus at randomization and delivery

Trial Locations

Locations (7)

Korogwe District Hospital

🇹🇿

Korogwe, Tanzania

Chikwawa District Hospital

🇲🇼

Chikwawa, Malawi

Mangochi District Hospital

🇲🇼

Mangochi, Malawi

Rabour Sub-county Hospital

🇰🇪

Kisumu, Kenya

Ahero Sud-countyHospital

🇰🇪

Ahero, Kisumu, Kenya

Handeni District Hospital

🇹🇿

Handeni, Tanzania

Homa Bay County Hospital

🇰🇪

Homa Bay, Kenya

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath