Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34748572›Full record

Trial reportPLoS neglected tropical diseases2021

Effectiveness of Nifurtimox Eflornithine Combination Therapy (NECT) in T. b. gambiense second stage sleeping sickness patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Report from a field study.

Andrea Kuemmerle, Caecilia Schmid, Sonja Bernhard, Victor Kande, Wilfried Mutombo, Medard Ilunga, Ismael Lumpungu, Sylvain Mutanda, Pathou Nganzobo, Digas Ngolo Tete and 4 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial, Phase IIIMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT00906880 (Clinical Study to Assess the Clinical Tolerability, Feasibility and Effectiveness Under Field Conditions of the Combination of Nifurtimox and Eflornithine), which is not on this map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT00906880 phase4completednot on this map

Clinical Study to Assess the Clinical Tolerability, Feasibility and Effectiveness Under Field Conditions of the Combination of Nifurtimox and Eflornithine (NECT) for the Treatment of T.b.Gambiense Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) in the Meningo-encephalitic Stage

TypeinterventionalSponsorDrugs for Neglected DiseasesRan2009 to 2013Enrolled630ConditionsHuman African TrypanosomiasisArmsNifurtimox-Eflronithine Combination Treatment (NECT)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
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  3. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Andrea KuemmerleSwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-5621-2676
Caecilia SchmidSwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-1593-9697
Sonja BernhardSwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.
Victor KandeProgramme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine Africaine (PNLTHA), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Wilfried MutomboProgramme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine Africaine (PNLTHA), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Medard IlungaProgramme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine Africaine (PNLTHA), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ismael LumpunguProgramme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine Africaine (PNLTHA), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Sylvain MutandaProgramme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine Africaine (PNLTHA), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Pathou NganzoboProgramme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine Africaine (PNLTHA), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Digas Ngolo TeteProgramme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine Africaine (PNLTHA), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.ORCID 0000-0001-8253-1128
Mays KisalaBureau Diocesain d'Oeuvres Médicales (BDOM), Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Christian BurriSwiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-5418-1984
Severine BlessonDrugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-3007-8015
Olaf Valverde MordtDrugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-3898-1014

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy (NECT) for the treatment of second stage gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) was added to the World Health Organization's Essential Medicines List in 2009 after demonstration of its non-inferior efficacy compared to eflornithine therapy. A study of NECT use in the field showed acceptable safety and high efficacy until hospital discharge in a wide population, including children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and patients with a HAT treatment history. We present here the effectiveness results after the 24-month follow-up visit. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL

findingsIn a multicenter, open label, single arm phase IIIb study, second stage gambiense HAT patients were treated with NECT in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Clinical cure was defined 24 months after treatment as survival without clinical and/or parasitological signs of HAT. Of the 629 included patients, 619 (98.4%) were discharged alive after treatment and were examined for the presence of trypanosomes, white blood cell count in cerebro-spinal fluid, and disease symptoms. The clinical cure rate of 94.1% was comparable for all subpopulations analyzed at the 24-month follow-up visit. Self-reported adverse events during follow-up were few and concerned mainly nervous system disorders, infections, and gastro-intestinal disorders. Overall, 28 patients (4.3%) died during the course of the trial. The death of 16 of the 18 patients who died during the follow-up period was assessed as unlikely or not related to NECT. Within 24 months, eight patients (1.3%) relapsed and received rescue treatment. Sixteen patients were completely lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: NECT treatment administered under field conditions was effective and sufficiently well tolerated, no major concern arose for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women. Patients with a previous HAT treatment history had the same response as those who were naïve. In conclusion, NECT was confirmed as effective and appropriate for use in a broad population, including vulnerable subpopulations.

trial registrationThe trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00906880.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAntiprotozoal AgentsChildChild, PreschoolDemocratic Republic of the CongoDrug Therapy, CombinationEflornithineFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansInfantMaleMiddle AgedNifurtimoxAntiprotozoal AgentsEflornithineNifurtimoxTrypanocidal Agents

Identifiers

PMID34748572
PMCPMC8601604

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.