E-DRUG: NEJM online first this week on malaria
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Dear colleagues
see this week's issue for 3 papers + editorials on antimalaria treatment and vaccine in infants and children
http://content.nejm.org/
Titles and links:
Efficacy of RTS,S/AS01E Vaccine against Malaria in Children 5 to 17 Months of Age
In this study of children in Kenya and Tanzania, the RTS,S malaria vaccine given with the AS01E adjuvant was found to have an adjusted rate of efficacy in preventing clinical malaria of 52.9%.
NEJM December 8, 2008 (DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0807381), in Print December 11, 2008
abstract: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMoa0807381
Safety and Immunogenicity of RTS,S/AS02D Malaria Vaccine in Infants
In this study of infants in Tanzania, the candidate malaria vaccine RTS,S/AS02D was compared with the hepatitis B vaccine and coadministered with the standard infant vaccines. No safety concerns were identified, and the immune responses to the coadministered vaccine antigens were noninferior.
NEJM December 8, 2008 (DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0807773), in Print December 11, 2008
abstract: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMoa0807773
Related Editorial: A Hopeful Beginning for Malaria Vaccines
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMe0808983
Combination Antimalarial Therapies in Children
In this open-label study of four regimens to treat children with malaria in Papua New Guinea, artemether�lumefantrine was found to be the most efficacious for treating falciparum malaria and dihydroartemisinin�piperaquine the most efficacious for vivax malaria.
NEJM December 8, 2008 (DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa0804915), in Print December 11, 2008
abstract: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMoa0804915
Related Editorial: Real-World Therapies and the Problem of Vivax Malaria
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMe0808729
Valeria
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Dr Valeria Frighi
University Dept. of Psychiatry
Neurosciences Building
Warneford Hospital
Oxford
OX3 7JX
UK
Tel. -44 -1865 -223779
07974920013
Fax -44 -1865 251076
Valeria.Frighi@psych.ox.ac.uk