SMAART-MAP malaria trial opens for recruitment
11 Feb 2025
The SMAART-MAP clinical trial in severe malaria recruited its first patient in Kilifi, Kenya at the end of January.
SMAART-MAP is a platform trial testing supportive treatments added to standard treatment, with the aim of improving short-term recovery in children hospitalised with severe malaria. The trial plans to open seven more sites across six different African countries and aims to recruit 450 children aged between three months and 12 years.
Severe malaria remains a common cause of hospitalisations and deaths among African children. Even with the best anti-malarial treatments, many children die within 24 hours of arriving at the hospital.
Children with malaria can also develop complications which further increase their risk of death. These include cerebral malaria, characterised by seizures and altered consciousness; severe anaemia, where the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells; and impaired kidney function.
The SMAART-MAP trial will test supportive treatments for each of these three complications. For cerebral malaria, the trial will test the epilepsy medication levetiracetam to prevent further seizures, compared with standard-of-care treatment alone. For severe anaemia, the trial will compare the response to different pack types of blood (red cell concentrates vs whole blood) in transfusions. Finally, for impaired kidney function, the trial will test a high dose of paracetamol to protect the kidneys, compared with standard-of-care dosing.
The SMAART-MAP trial aims to contribute valuable data to improve treatment guidelines for severe malaria, ultimately improving outcomes for affected children. By identifying effective supportive therapies, the trial may significantly reduce the number of child deaths and hospitalisations due to severe malaria.
The SMAART-MAP trial is part of the SMAART consortium (Severe Malaria: A Research and Trials Consortium) and managed by the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Clinical Trials Facility.
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