Leishmania blood parasite dynamics during and after treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in Eastern Africa: A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model.

Luka VerrestSéverine MonneratAhmed M MusaJane MbuiEltahir A G KhalilJoseph OloboMonique WasunnaWan-Yu ChuAlwin D R HuitemaHenk D F H SchalligFabiana AlvesThomas P C Dorlo

Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases (2024)

This semi-mechanistic pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model adequately captured the blood parasite dynamics during and after treatment, and revealed that high blood parasite loads on Day 28 and Day 56 after start of treatment are an early indication for VL relapse, which could be a useful biomarker to assess treatment efficacy of a treatment regimen in a clinical trial setting.

Keyphrases

clinical trial
randomized controlled trial
toxoplasma gondii
combination therapy
replacement therapy
study protocol
double blind
smoking cessation
free survival