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Pharmacokinetics of TafenoquinePhase 4NCT07052162

Investigating the Pharmacokinetics of Tafenoquine in Healthy Papua New Guinean Children

A Phase 4 study testing Single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) given with water and Single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) given with fat in people with Pharmacokinetics of Tafenoquine, run by Curtin University at 1 site in Papua New Guinea.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Plasmodium vivax is the most geographically widespread malaria species and the second largest contributor to symptomatic malaria worldwide. It accounts for half of all malaria cases outside Africa, with an estimated 14.3 million clinical vivax malaria cases reported annually, contributing to an annual cost of US$359… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 5 to 12 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Pharmacokinetics of Tafenoquine
What is being tested?
Single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) given with water and Single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) given with fat
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
30 participants
Where
1 sitePapua New Guinea
Study dates
20 Oct 2025to Mar 2026
Phase
Phase 4
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 5 to 12 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • have a normal glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity (>70% enzyme activity) as confirmed by quantitative SD Biosensor
  • are Rapid Diagnostic Test negative for malaria
  • have not received treatment with any antimalarial in the previous 4-weeks
  • have no signs or symptoms of significant morbidity
  • have no history of hypersensitivity to primaquine
  • are able to attend all scheduled follow-up visits

Who cannot join

  • have G6PD activity <70%
  • test positive for malaria by rapid diagnostic test
  • have receive treatment with an antimalarial in the previous 4-weeks
  • have signs or symptoms of significant morbidities
  • have a history of primaquine related hypersensitivity
  • cannot, or are not willing, to attend all scheduled follow-up visits

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Papua New Guinea1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Alexishafen Health Centre

    Madang, Madang Province, MP511

    Paula Tesine, MD, +675 434 02058, paula.tesine@pngimr.org.pg

    Recruiting

Other trials in Papua New Guinea

About this study

Official title: Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Preliminary Efficacy of Tafenoquine for the Treatment of Vivax Malaria in Papua New Guinean Children

Plasmodium vivax is the most geographically widespread malaria species and the second largest contributor to symptomatic malaria worldwide. It accounts for half of all malaria cases outside Africa, with an estimated 14.3 million clinical vivax malaria cases reported annually, contributing to an annual cost of US$359 million. Children are most vulnerable to infection, with P. vivax prevalence peaking between 2 to 6 years of age. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), there are >1.5 million suspected P. vivax cases annually, and while P. falciparum infections are the most prevalent, P. vivax transmission is the most intense in the world. P. vivax in PNG provides a unique epidemiological setting in which to assess innovative treatments in children.

The complex biology of P. vivax represents a challenge for malaria control and chemotherapy, especially dormant liver-stage parasites (hypnozoites) which can reactivate (relapse) and cause disease at a time remote from the primary infection. Hypnozoite relapse is the primary cause of vivax malaria in endemic regions and is resistant to most antimalarial drugs. Identifying effective treatments for radical cure, the complete elimination of parasites (both blood- and liver-stage), is therefore a priority. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 14-day radical cure regimen for uncomplicated vivax malaria; comprised of blood stage treatment (chloroquine or artemisinin combination therapy (ACT)) and 14 days of the 8-aminoquinoline drug primaquine (PQ; 0.25-0.5 mg/kg/day) for liver-stage cure. More recently, the 8-aminoquinoline tafenoquine has garnered interest as an alternative radical cure agent to primaquine. However, there is limited data on the pharmacokinetics, tolerability and radical cure efficacy of tafenoquine in children.

The overall aim of the study is to characterise the pharmacokinetic profile of tafenoquine (and primary metabolite) in Papua New Guinean children.

Read the detailed description

This is an open-label study to evaluate the pharmacokinetic disposition of tafenoquine, with and without coadministration of fat, in healthy Papua New Guinean children. This study represents the first part of a multi-phase evaluation of tafenoquine in PNG children (preliminary efficacy study registered separately).

In this study, healthy PNG children aged 5-12 year will be eligible for inclusion into the study providing they have normal G6PD activity (>70% enzyme activity) and no history of previous hypersensitivity to 8-aminoquinoline drugs. All participants will be admitted to the Alexishafen Health Centre for the first 2-4 days of the study, to facilitate blood sampling and clinical monitoring.

After admission, baseline demographic and medical history will be taken, and the participants will undergo a full clinical assessment to establish baseline safety indices. The 30 participants will then be randomized 1:1 to receive either:

Group A: single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) with water (and cracker biscuits (2% fat), to mitigate gastrointestinal complaints, or Group B: single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) with 250mL of chocolate flavoured mild (9% fat; and cracker biscuits (2% fat)).

For pharmacokinetic analysis, venous blood samples will be collected (via indwelling cannula) at 8 time points within the first 48-hours of drug administration, with further finger prick samples collected on days 3, 4, 7, 14, 28, 42 and 56. Both dried blood spot and plasma samples will be collected at all time points for pharmacokinetic analyses.

Standardised review, including adverse-effect questionnaires, and clinical monitoring (haemoglobin, methaemoglobin, reticulocyte counts, malaria blood films) will be conducted at all daily follow-up time points (Days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 14, 28, 42, and 56). Safety testing (hepatorenal function tests (ALT, total bilirubin, creatinine), haemoglobin, urine dipstick analysis and electrocardiogram trace, will be taken at 4, 12, 24 hours and on Days 3, 7 and 28. A standardized clinical taste evaluation survey will be conducted (child or parent response, age dependent) 30 minutes of dosing, which will be repeated on Day 1.

Secondary objectives:

  1. To evaluate the role of fat on the bioavailability of tafenoquine
  2. To assess the safety of tafenoquine in PNG children
  3. To assess the tolerability of tafenoquine in PNG children

The investigators hypothesise that:

  1. A single dose of tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) is safe in PNG children
  2. Co-administration of tafenoquine with fat will improve drug bioavailability
  3. Cut or crushed tablets will not be well tolerated, although tolerability will improve with administration of whole tablets
Being tested
Single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) given with water, Single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) given with fat
Keywords
tafenoquine, vivax malaria, pharmacokinetics, children
Medical subject headings
Malaria, Vivax

What participants receive

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

  • Single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) given with waterDrug

    Also called TQ, Tafenoquine succinate, Kodatef

    Participants will receive single-dose TQ as 10 mg/kg taken with water and a low-fat meal (3 plain cracker biscuits; 2% fat). Food (low-fat meal) is taken with both regimens to attenuate any gastrointestinal adverse effects that are related to taking TQ on an empty stomach. Combinations of full or half-tablets will be swallowed whole or crushed lightly (tablets) or dissolved in boiled water (if dispersible tablets are available), as directly observed treatment. Children vomiting within the first 30 minutes of treatment will be withdrawn

  • Single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) given with fatDrug

    Also called TQ, Tafenoquine succinate, Kodatef

    Single-dose TQ as 10 mg/kg taken with 250 mL chocolate flavoured milk (9% fat) and a low-fat meal (3 plain cracker biscuits). Food (low-fat meal) is taken with both regimens to attenuate any gastrointestinal adverse effects that are related to taking TQ on an empty stomach. Combinations of full or half-tablets will be swallowed whole or crushed lightly (tablets) or dissolved in boiled water (if dispersible tablets are available), as directly observed treatment. Children vomiting within the first 30 minutes of treatment will be withdrawn

Study groups in NCT07052162
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Group AExperimentalSingle-dose tafenoquine as 10 mg/kg taken with water and a low-fat meal (3 plain cracker biscuits; 2% fat)
Receives: Drug: Single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) given with water
Group BExperimentalSingle-dose tafenoquine as 10mg/kg taken with 250 mL chocolate flavoured milk (9% fat) and a low-fat meal (3 plain cracker biscuits; 2% fat).
Receives: Drug: Single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) given with fat

What is being measured

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

  1. Pharmacokinetic: Distribution half-life

    Pharmacokinetic parameters of tafenoquine and 5,6-orthoquinone tafenoquine, will be ascertained using a nonlinear mixed-effects modelling approach (NONMEM), based on drug concentrations determined from venous blood samples collected at baseline (Day 0), 2, 4, 8, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 hours from a sampling cannula with capillary finger-prick samples at Days 3, 4, 7, 14, 28, 42 and 56.

    Measured: 56-days after drug administration

  2. Pharmacokinetic: Terminal elimination half-life

    Measured: 56-days after drug administration

  3. Pharmacokinetic: Absorption half-life

    Measured: 56-days after drug administration

  4. Pharmacokinetics: Clearance

    Measured: 56-days after drug administration

  5. Pharmacokinetics: Volume of distribution

    Measured: 56-days after drug administration

  6. Pharmacokinetics: Maximal concentration

    Measured: 56-days after drug administration

  7. Pharmacokinetics: Area under concentration-time curve

    Measured: 56-days after drug administration

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Safety: Change in haemoglobin over 28 days

    After admission, baseline demographic details (age, weight, height) and a detailed clinical history will be taken. All participants will then undergo a full clinical assessment, documenting axillary temperature, heart and respiration rate, and methaemoglobin level (pulse oximetry; Rad57 pulse oximeter with SpMet% function). A blood sample will be drawn prior to drug administration via the cannula for baseline laboratory tests (safety analysis) and genotyping, including:

    1. Haemoglobin and blood glucose ii) Dipstick urinalysis iii) Resting 12-lead electrocardiogram for rate-corrected QT interval iv) 250 μL blood sample for CYP2D6 genotyping v) Reticulocyte count vi) Hepatorenal function Safety testing, including collection of a 100 μL blood sample for hepatorenal function tests (ALT, total bilirubin and creatinine), haemoglobin, methaemoglobin, urine dipstick analysis (blood, protein and glucose), and an electrocardiogram trace, will be taken at 4, 12, 24 hrs, and on Days 3, 7 and 28.

    Measured: 28-days from drug administration

  2. Safety: Change in methaemoglobin over 28 days

    Measured: 28-days from drug administration

  3. Safety: Change in hepatorenal function over 7 days

    Measured: 7-days from drug administration

  4. Safety: Change in rate corrected QTc over 28 days

    Measured: 28-days from drug administration

  5. Tolerability: Taste and tolerability assessment

    A standardized clinical taste evaluation/tolerability survey will be conducted (child or parent response, dependent on age) 30 minutes after TQ dosing, which will be repeated on Day 1. This survey will investigate the participant's feelings towards the dosing experience (taste, tablet size, ease of swallowing) and any treatment related side effects (focussing on known complications including nausea, gastrointestinal disruption, vomiting).

    Measured: 1-day following drug administration

  6. Safety and tolerability: Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events as assessed by standardised questionnaire

    Symptom questionnaires (used across all research conducted at this site) will be conducted at each follow-up time point from baseline (Day-0) until end of study (day 56). The questionnaire will determine the frequency, duration and rating (mild, moderate, severe) of each adverse event experienced, from the perspective of the participant/caregiver and clinic staff.

    Measured: 56-days after drug administration

Timeline

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

  1. First posted4 Jul 2025
  2. Study start20 Oct 2025
  3. Primary completionMar 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completionMar 2026 (estimated)

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 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
30 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07052162
Sponsor's protocol ID
RES67418
Status last verified
Mar 2026
First submitted
27 Mar 2025
Last updated
18 Mar 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Data maybe shared upon contact with the principal investigators and approval by the PNG Institute of Medical Research. This process will be conducted on a case by case basis, as per agreements between collaborative partners.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) given with water and Single dose tafenoquine (10 mg/kg) given with fat in people with Pharmacokinetics of Tafenoquine, run by Curtin University at 1 site in Papua New Guinea.

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 6 inclusion and 6 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Papua New Guinea. 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 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

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

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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

Contact Brioni R Moore, PhD (+61 8 9266 2956, brioni.moore@curtin.edu.au), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Pharmacokinetic: Distribution half-life (time frame: 56-days after drug administration). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 18 Mar 2026.

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