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Treating malaria in HIV-coinfected individuals should consider potential drug-drug interactions. Artemether-lumefantrine is the most widely recommended treatment for uncomplicated malaria globally. Lumefantrine is metabolized by CYP3A4, an enzyme that commonly used antiretrovirals often induce or inhibit. A population pharmacokinetic meta-analysis was conducted using individual participant data from 10 studies with 6,100 lumefantrine concentrations from 793 nonpregnant adult participants (41% HIV-malaria-coinfected, 36% malaria-infected, 20% HIV-infected, and 3% healthy volunteers). Lumefantrine exposure increased 3.4-fold with coadministration of lopinavir-ritonavir-based antiretroviral therapy (ART), while it decreased by 47% with efavirenz-based ART and by 59% in the patients with rifampin-based antituberculosis treatment. Nevirapine- or dolutegravir-based ART and malaria or HIV infection were not associated with significant effects. Monte Carlo simulations showed that those on concomitant efavirenz or rifampin have 49% and 80% probability of day 7 concentrations <200 ng/ml, respectively, a threshold associated with an increased risk of treatment failure. The risk of achieving subtherapeutic concentrations increases with larger body weight. An extended 5-day and 6-day artemether-lumefantrine regimen is predicted to overcome these drug-drug interactions with efavirenz and rifampin, respectively.

Original publication

DOI

10.1128/aac.02394-19

Type

Journal article

Journal

Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy

Publication Date

21/04/2020

Volume

64

Addresses

Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

Keywords

Humans, HIV Infections, Malaria, Body Weight, Ritonavir, Antimalarials, Anti-HIV Agents, Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active, Monte Carlo Method, Drug Interactions, Computer Simulation, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Middle Aged, Female, Male, Young Adult, Lopinavir, Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination, Lumefantrine