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Trial registered on ANZCTR


Registration number
ACTRN12612000571875
Ethics application status
Approved
Date submitted
22/05/2012
Date registered
28/05/2012
Date last updated
18/07/2014
Type of registration
Prospectively registered

Titles & IDs
Public title
A randomised phase 2a trial of safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of L-Arginine in severe falciparum malaria
Scientific title
A randomised phase 2a trial of safety, efficacy (in improving lactate clearance and endothelial function), pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of L-Arginine in adults with severe falciparum malaria
Secondary ID [1] 280534 0
Nil
Universal Trial Number (UTN)
Nil
Trial acronym
ARGISM-2
Linked study record

Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
Severe falciparum malaria 286528 0
Condition category
Condition code
Infection 286795 286795 0 0
Other infectious diseases

Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
Description of intervention(s) / exposure
intravenous L-arginine in saline commencing within 18 hours of standard therapy: 0.33g/kg (to maximum 20g) over 8 hours. All patients receive standard intravenous artesunate therapy (Artesunate 2.4mg/kg IV then 2.4mg/kg at 12h and 24h then every 24 hours) followed, after minimum of 3 doses, once eating & drinking without vomiting, with oral therapy with artemether/lumefantrine (20/120mg) 4 tabs orally at 0h, 8h then every 12h x 2 more days
Intervention code [1] 284909 0
Treatment: Drugs
Comparator / control treatment
Comparator: intravenous saline (0g L-arginine, but identical volume of saline)

All patients receive standard intravenous artesunate therapy (Artesunate 2.4mg/kg IV then 2.4mg/kg at 12h and 24h then every 24 hours) followed, after minimum of 3 doses, once eating & drinking without vomiting, with oral therapy with artemether/lumefantrine (20/120mg) 4 tabs PO at 0h, 8h then every 12h x 2 more days
Control group
Active

Outcomes
Primary outcome [1] 287167 0
Area under the curve for microvascular reactivity (RH-PAT)
Timepoint [1] 287167 0
0-9 hours
Primary outcome [2] 287168 0
Lactate clearance: area under the curve until venous blood lactate returns to the upper limit of normal.
Timepoint [2] 287168 0
Every 4 hours until lactate returns to the upper limit of normal
Secondary outcome [1] 297531 0
Safety: clinical and biochemical measures
Timepoint [1] 297531 0
until hospital discharge
Secondary outcome [2] 297532 0
Improvement in microvascular function. Area under the curve for microvascular reactivity (Near Infrared Spectroscopy)
Timepoint [2] 297532 0
0-9 hrs
Secondary outcome [3] 297535 0
Paired comparison of post-vs pre-infusion endothelial function (NIRS and RH-PAT) relative to saline
Timepoint [3] 297535 0
4 , 8 and 24 hrs
Secondary outcome [4] 297536 0
Venous blood lactate clearance for each infusion regimen
Timepoint [4] 297536 0
Every 4 hours until lactate returns to the upper limit of normal
Secondary outcome [5] 297537 0
Change in plasma L-arginine, Ang-2 and VWFa concentrations
Timepoint [5] 297537 0
8 and 24 hours
Secondary outcome [6] 297538 0
Fever clearance time defined as the time taken for the tympanic temperature (measured by infrared thermometry) to fall below 37.5 deg C and remain there for at least 24 hours. Temperature will be the average of the left and right ears.
Timepoint [6] 297538 0
Every 6 hours until fever cleared
Secondary outcome [7] 297539 0
Parasite clearance time assessed using peripheral blood films, defined as the interval between start of treatment and the first of two consecutive negative blood films
Timepoint [7] 297539 0
Every 6 hours until parasites cleared
Secondary outcome [8] 297540 0
Improvement in microvascular obstruction (Orthogonal Polarising Spectroscopy)
Timepoint [8] 297540 0
8 and 24 hours
Secondary outcome [9] 297541 0
Change in tissue oxygen consumption (measured by NIRS occlusion phase)
Timepoint [9] 297541 0
2, 8, 24 hours
Secondary outcome [10] 297542 0
Change in NO production (exhaled NO and urine nitrate/creatinine ratio)
Timepoint [10] 297542 0
2, 4, 8, 24 hours
Secondary outcome [11] 297543 0
Change in red cell deformability (LORCA)
Timepoint [11] 297543 0
8, 24 hours
Secondary outcome [12] 297544 0
Coma recovery time
Timepoint [12] 297544 0
Every hour for 12 hours then 6 hourly until Glasgow Coma Score 15
Secondary outcome [13] 297545 0
Time to resolution of acidosis (measured by venous blood base excess)
Timepoint [13] 297545 0
Every 4 hours until acidosis normalises
Secondary outcome [14] 297546 0
Change in pulmonary artery pressures (non-invasive using echocardiography)
Timepoint [14] 297546 0
8, 24 hours

Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
1. age 16-60 years (inclusive) 2. informed consent obtained 3. <=18 hrs since commencement of parenteral artesunate OR <= 24 hours since commencement of full-dose parenteral quinine
4. any level of P. falciparum parasitemia, and one or more of the following criteria: i. acute renal failure (creatinine >265umol/L) ii. hyperbilirubinemia (total bilirubin >50 umol/L) with either renal impairment (creatinine >130umol/L) or parasitemia of >100,000 parasites/uL iii. blackwater fever (black urine and dipstick positive for blood) iv. hyperparasitemia (>10% parasitised red cells) v. cerebral malaria (Glasgow coma score <11) vi. Hypoglycemia (blood glucose <2.2 mmol/L or <40 mg/dL) vii. Venous bicarbonate 12-15 meq/L; viii. Lactate > 4 mmol/L
Minimum age
16 Years
Maximum age
60 Years
Sex
Both males and females
Can healthy volunteers participate?
No
Key exclusion criteria
1. pregnancy or lactation
2. diabetes
3. serious pre-existing disease (eg advanced cardiac, hepatic, kidney disease)
4. systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg after fluid resuscitation
5. initial iSTAT test showing any of the following values:
i. K+ > 5.5 meq/L
ii. HCO3- < 12 meq/L
iii. Chloride > 117 mmol/L
iv. pH <7.1
6. known allergy to L-arginine
7. concurrent therapy with any of the following medications:
i. spironolactone,
ii. oral nitrates,
iii. phosphodiesterase inhibitor (eg sildenafil)
iv. alpha-blocking antihypertensive agents (eg prazosin)
v. L-arginine
8. hemoglobin <5 g/dL

Study design
Purpose of the study
Treatment
Allocation to intervention
Randomised controlled trial
Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
Masking / blinding
Who is / are masked / blinded?



Intervention assignment
Parallel
Other design features
Phase
Phase 2
Type of endpoint/s
Statistical methods / analysis

Recruitment
Recruitment status
Recruiting
Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
Date of last data collection
Anticipated
Actual
Sample size
Target
Accrual to date
Final
Recruitment outside Australia
Country [1] 4327 0
Bangladesh
State/province [1] 4327 0

Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1] 285297 0
Government body
Name [1] 285297 0
NHMRC
Country [1] 285297 0
Australia
Primary sponsor type
University
Name
Menzies School of Health Research
Address
PO Box 41096
Casuarina
NT 0811
Country
Australia
Secondary sponsor category [1] 284159 0
None
Name [1] 284159 0
Address [1] 284159 0
Country [1] 284159 0

Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Approved

Summary
Brief summary
Trial website
Trial related presentations / publications
Public notes

Contacts
Principal investigator
Name 34211 0
Dr Nicholas Anstey
Address 34211 0
Menzies School of Health Research
PO Box 41096
Casuarina NT 0811
Australia
Country 34211 0
Australia
Phone 34211 0
+61-8-8922 8932
Fax 34211 0
Email 34211 0
Contact person for public queries
Name 17458 0
Nicholas Anstey
Address 17458 0
Menzies School of Health Research
PO Box 41096
Casuarina
NT 0811
Country 17458 0
Australia
Phone 17458 0
+61-8-8922 8932
Fax 17458 0
Email 17458 0
Contact person for scientific queries
Name 8386 0
Nicholas Anstey
Address 8386 0
Menzies School of Health Research
PO Box 41096
Casuarina
NT 0811
Country 8386 0
Australia
Phone 8386 0
+61-8-8922 8932
Fax 8386 0
Email 8386 0

No information has been provided regarding IPD availability


What supporting documents are/will be available?

No Supporting Document Provided



Results publications and other study-related documents

Documents added manually
No documents have been uploaded by study researchers.

Documents added automatically
No additional documents have been identified.