ASTMH: MMV - PATH sponsored symposium: Accelerating new tools for radical cure of vivax malaria from clinical and operational research to policy.

DESCRIPTION

Tafenoquine, a single-dose radical cure treatment, and new diagnostics could transform treatment and elimination prospects for P. vivax malaria. Widespread use of tafenoquine depends on the ability to identify all cases of P. vivax malaria and safely screen patients’ glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme activity. The potential of this expanded access will only be realized when accurate, reliable point-of-care (POC) malaria and G6PD testing is concurrently is adopted in vivax-endemic settings. This symposium will explore the modeling, clinical, and operational research platforms that have been established to generate the tools and data needed to bridge the gap between current P. vivax case management practices and future elimination goals. The symposium has three themes: 1. Advent of new diagnostics to support improved case management. New diagnostic tests for P. vivax: The first speaker will present an assessment of different biomarkers for Plasmodium vivax infection used as targets of new diagnostics to inform P. vivax case management and elimination. A clinical research platform for the validation of novel G6PD tests was established across Brazil, Ethiopia the US. The second speaker will present a pooled analysis of performance and usability data generated using the SD Biosensor STANDARD G6PD test. 2. Potential impact of new tools on P. vivax malaria - the third speaker will present the work undertaken by Institut Pasteur and Fiocruz on a transmission model of the rollout and potential impact of tafenoquine on P. vivax in Brazil, adapted from a mathematical model developed for Papua New Guinea. Modeling examined the potential direct benefit to treated patients and indirect benefit by preventing onward transmission, thereby reducing population-level transmission in the entire community. 3. Assessing the operational feasibility of integrating new P. vivax products to achieve best clinical practices and elimination goals. TRuST study - the fourth speaker will present the planned approach to assess the operational feasibility of providing appropriate radical cure (tafenoquine or primaquine) after quantitative G6PD testing under field conditions and the practicalities of implementation. TRuST is jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Medicines for Malaria Venture. Pathway for policy adoption of new tools for radical cure in Myanmar - New tools for P. vivax, including the POC G6PD diagnostic and tafenoquine, expand the armamentarium for radical cure and have the potential to play a critical role in reaching elimination goals. The last speaker will present on the pathway forward in Myanmar toward policy change and key considerations for future adoption and deployment of the new tools for radical cure.

7 Presentations