Malaria's next threat: drug-resistant parasites spread even after treatment
NCT ID NCT06347471
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 07, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This study looked at whether malaria parasites that are resistant to artemisinin drugs spread more easily after standard treatment. Researchers treated 160 people in Uganda who had malaria with either artemether-lumefantrine or dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine. They then used mosquito feeding tests to measure how many mosquitoes got infected before, during, and after treatment. The goal was to see if resistant parasites are more likely to be transmitted than non-resistant ones.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Artemether-lumefantrine (Coartem) and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (Eurartesim)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help public health officials understand how drug-resistant malaria spreads and guide strategies to contain it.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed observational study (160 participants) in one region, so results may not apply broadly. It measures transmission in the lab, not real-world spread.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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160 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2024
- Finished
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Nov 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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2 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * age ≥2 years * blood smear positive for P. falciparum gametocytes * mono-infection with P. falciparum confirmed by positive blood smear; * parasitaemia of \>100 P. falciparum asexual forms/µL; * ability to swallow oral medication; * ability and willingness to comply with the study protocol for the duration of the study and to comply with the study visit schedule; * informed consent from parent or guardian; * haemoglobin ≥ 7.0 g/dl for children below 10 years of age or ≥8.0g/dL for older individuals Exclusion Criteria: * presence of general danger signs; * mixed or mono-infection with another Plasmodium species detected by microscopy; * presence of severe malnutrition defined as a very low weight for height (below -3z scores of the median WHO growth standards), by visible severe wasting, or by the presence of nutritional oedema. * presence of febrile conditions due to diseases other than malaria (e.g. measles, acute lower respiratory tract infection, severe diarrhoea with dehydration) or other known underlying chronic or severe diseases (e.g. cardiac, renal and hepatic diseases, HIV/AIDS); * history of hypersensitivity reactions or contraindications to any of the medicine(s) being tested
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Dr. Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital
Kalongo, Agago District, Uganda
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Patongo Health Facility IV
Patongo, Agago District, Uganda
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