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Malaria in PregnancyPhase 3MACOMBANCT01746199

Efficacy of Antifolates Against Malaria in HIV-infected Pregnant Women and the Emergence of Induced Resistance in Plasmodium Falciparum

A Phase 3 study testing cotrimoxazole daily prophylaxis and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in people with Malaria in Pregnancy and HIV Infection, run by Institut Pasteur at 4 sites in Central African Republic.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Given the resistance emergence of malaria in pregnant women receiving intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPT-SP) and the burden of this infection among pregnant women infected by HIV it is urgent to seek a more effective alternative treatment to optimize the prevention of malaria. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older, women only
Conditions the study is for
Malaria in Pregnancy, HIV Infection
What is being tested?
cotrimoxazole daily prophylaxis and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
193 participants
Where
4 sitesCentral African Republic
Study dates
Dec 2013to Dec 2019
Phase
Phase 3
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • age ≥ 18 years
  • HIV positivity
  • gestational age between 16 and 28 weeks
  • CD4+ count > 350 cells/mm3 and no sign of WHO stage 2, 3 or 4;
  • agreement to attend all the antenatal consultations for the study
  • willingness to adhere to all requirements of the study (including HIV-1 voluntary counseling and testing)
  • signed informed consent

Who cannot join

  • psychological instability that could interfere with compliance;
  • hypersensitivity to sulfamides or dermatological disease(eczema, pemphigoid exanthema) that would increase the risk for severe reactions to the drugs being tested
  • severe anaemia (Hb<7 g/dl)and any other severe disease
  • known hepatic cardiac or renal disease

Trial locations and contacts

4 sites in 1 country.

Central African Republic4 sites
  • Maternité de l'Hôpital communautaire

    Bangui

  • Maternité de l'Hôpital de l'Amitié

    Bangui

  • Maternité de la Gendarmerie Nationale

    Bangui

  • Maternité du centre de santé des Castors

    Bangui

About this study

Official title: Comparative Study of Efficacy of Two Antifolates Prophylactic Strategies Against Malaria in HIV Positive Pregnant Women (MACOMBA Study)

Given the resistance emergence of malaria in pregnant women receiving intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPT-SP) and the burden of this infection among pregnant women infected by HIV it is urgent to seek a more effective alternative treatment to optimize the prevention of malaria. Cotrimoxazole (CTM), actually administered daily as a prophylactic mean to opportunistic infections for HIV infected patients, showed encouraging results in preventing malaria in pregnant women. However, these results must be confirmed by randomized trials, particularly in pregnant women.

The main objective of this clinical trial is to compare the efficacy of cotrimoxazole (CTM), administered once daily with IPT-SP (3 curative doses spaced one month) on placental parasitaemia in pregnant women infected with HIV and cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) > 350 cells/mm3.

The main hypothesis is based on the premise that cotrimoxazole is more effective than IPT-SP for placental parasitaemia. This might be due to the higher plasma concentration of cotrimoxazole attained with daily doses. If this hypothesis is proven, cotrimoxazole could be recommended as prophylaxis for HIV-positive pregnant women, whatever their CD4+ cell count. In this study, the investigators will also test the hypothesis that the strains of Plasmodium falciparum isolated from HIV-positive pregnant women express more dhfr and dhps resistance markers.

Read the detailed description

Ascertainment of HIV serological status has become a prerequisite for better prevention of malaria. Studies reported that cotrimoxazole reduces malaria episodes in adults (other than pregnant women), and in children. Furthermore, several studies showed a good clinical and parasitological response to cotrimoxazole in treated children. Therefore, preventive treatment with SP for all HIV+ patients (including pregnant women) who are receiving treatment containing cotrimoxazole is superfluous and is even contraindicated because of the increase risk of severe adverse reactions. Few studies, however, have described the efficacy of cotrimoxazole in the prevention of malaria in pregnant women, particularly in an area where the frequency of therapeutic failures with SP in cases of Plasmodium falciparum malaria is increasing.

The emergence and augmentation of the frequency of resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to SP, which has already been observed in numerous countries of sub-Saharan Africa and in the Central African Republic, challenges the short-term usefulness of this drug combination in the prevention of malaria in pregnant women. The resistance is due to accumulation of point mutations at various sites on the genes coding for dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) and dihydropteroate synthase (dhps). The number of mutations correlates with the extent of resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to SP in vitro. In studies carried out in Bangui, the prevalence of therapeutic failure was estimated to be 23.8% after 14 days of follow-up among children with uncomplicated malaria, while the resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to pyrimethamine in vitro was reported to be 38.3%. The frequency of mutations in dhfr and dhps alleles is correlated with in vitro response of Plasmodium falciparum strains to SP.

Pregnancy and HIV infection increase the risk for emergence of mutated strains that are resistant to SP, because a wide variety of types and clones are found in parasitaemia in pregnant women (genetic diversity). Furthermore, some studies raised concern about the possible development of cross-resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to both cotrimoxazole and SP because of the similarity of their mode of action, although this hypothesis has not been proven.

The national malaria programme in the Central African Republic recommends the use of IPT-SP since 2006.

The investigators' main hypothesis is based on the premise that cotrimoxazole is more effective than SP for placental parasitaemia. This might be due to the higher plasma concentration of cotrimoxazole attained with daily doses. If this hypothesis is proven, cotrimoxazole could be recommended as prophylaxis for HIV+ pregnant women, whatever their CD4+ cell count. In this study, the investigators will also test the hypothesis that the strains of Plasmodium falciparum isolated from HIV+ positive pregnant women express more dhfr and dhps resistance markers.

Being tested
cotrimoxazole daily prophylaxis, sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine
Medical subject headings
HIV Infections

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • cotrimoxazole daily prophylaxisDrug

    Also called - CTM, - Sulfamethoxazole- trimethoprime, - Bactrim®

  • sulphadoxine-pyrimethamineDrug

    Also called - SP, - sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, - Fansidar®

    Intermittent preventive sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine treatment

Study groups in NCT01746199
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
cotrimoxazole daily prophylaxisExperimentalcotrimoxazole daily prophylaxis
Receives: Drug: cotrimoxazole daily prophylaxis
Intermittent Preventive sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine TreatmentActive comparatorReferent treatment given according WHO recommendations
Receives: Drug: sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. placental parasitaemia

    microscopic observation and confirmation by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

    Measured: at parturition

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. observance CTM prophylaxis

    Measured: until the end of pregnancy

  2. occurrence of specific events related to the effectiveness of CTM prophylaxis and IPT-SP

    considered events :

    • maternal anemia (hemoglobinemia < 10g/dl)
    • incidence of malaria episodes during pregnancy
    • abortions, stillbirth, premature (birth <37 weeks of amenorrhea) and low birth weight (< 2500g)
    • placenta malaria and umbilical malaria transmission

    Measured: until the end of pregnancy

  3. occurence of adverse events

    Measured: until the end of pregnancy

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted10 Dec 2012 (estimated)
  2. Study startDec 2013
  3. Primary completionOct 2015
  4. Study completionDec 2019

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 3
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
193 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01746199
Sponsor's protocol ID
2012-03
Acronym
MACOMBA
Status last verified
Nov 2020
First submitted
30 Nov 2012
Last updated
30 Nov 2020
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Pons-Duran C, Wassenaar MJ, Yovo KE, Marin-Carballo C, Briand V, Gonzalez R. Intermittent preventive treatment regimens for malaria in HIV-positive pregnant women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 Sep 26;9(9):CD006689. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006689.pub3.

    PubMed 39324693
  • Manirakiza A, Sepou A, Serdouma E, Gondje S, Bata GG, Moussa S, Boulay A, Moyen JM, Sakanga O, Le-Fouler L, Kazanji M, Vray M. Effectiveness of two antifolate prophylactic strategies against malaria in HIV-positive pregnant women in Bangui, Central African Republic: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (MACOMBA). Trials. 2013 Aug 14;14:255. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-14-255.

    PubMed 23945130

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 3 study testing cotrimoxazole daily prophylaxis and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in people with Malaria in Pregnancy and HIV Infection, run by Institut Pasteur at 4 sites in Central African Republic.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Nov 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 4 sites in Central African Republic. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

placental parasitaemia (time frame: at parturition). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01746199, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 30 Nov 2020.

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