Optimizing the programmatic deployment of the anti-malarials artemether-lumefantrine and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine using pharmacological modelling

Table 2 The weight- and age-based dosing regimens investigated for fixed-dose artemether-lumefantrine (AM-LF) and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PPQ)

	Weight category	Age category				Number of tablets
	Drug	Global	Africa	Latin America	Asia
AM-LF	5–14 kg¹	6 m–3 yrs	6 m–3 yrs	6 m–2 yrs	6 m–3 yrs	1 × 20/120 mg²
	15–24 kg¹	4–10 yrs	4–9 yrs	3–7 yrs	4–11 yrs	2 × 20/120 mg²
	25–34 kg¹	11–14 yrs	10–12 yrs	8–10 yrs	12–14 yrs	3 × 20/120 mg²
	35 + kg¹	≥15 yrs	≥13 yrs	≥11 yrs	≥15 yrs	4 × 20/120 mg²
DHA-PPQ	5– < 7 kg³	6 m–2 yrs	6 m–1 yr	6 m–1 yr	6 m–2 yrs	0.5 × 20/160 mg⁴
	7– < 13 kg³	3–9 yrs	2–8 yrs	2–6 yrs	3–10 yrs	1 × 20/160 mg⁴
	13– < 24 kg³	10–14 yrs	9–14 yrs	7–11 yrs	11–15 yrs	1 × 40/320 mg⁴
	24– < 36 kg³	≥15 yrs	15–19 yrs	12–16 yrs	≥16 yrs	2 × 40/320 mg⁴
	36– < 75 kg³	–	≥20 yrs	≥17 yrs	–	3 × 40/320 mg⁴
	75–100 kg³	–	–	–	–	4 × 40/320 mg⁴

¹As provided in the World Health Organization Guidelines for the treatment of malaria [30]. ²twice daily dose for 3 days (at 0 h, 8 h, 24 h, 36 h, 48 h, 60 h); ³ as provided by the manufacturer [31]; ⁴ daily dose for 3 days (at 0 h, 24 h, 48 h).

ISSN: 1475-2875