Dose‐finding and efficacy study for i.m. artemotil (beta‐arteether) and comparison with i.m. artemether in acute uncomplicated <i>P. falciparum</i> malaria

Abstract

The optimum dose regimen for artemotil in this study was identical to the standard dose regimen of artemether. The findings that artemotil is more slowly absorbed from the i.m. injection site than artemether, and that early systemic availability may be insufficient for an immediate onset of parasite clearance contributed to the decision to choose a higher loading dose of artemotil (divided over two injection sites) and to omit the fifth dose in later studies. With this optimized dosing schedule, the more pronounced depot characteristics of i.m. artemotil can be an advantage, since it may allow shorter hospitalization.