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TerminatedNCT00489658NECSUpdated Jun 21, 2007

Eflornithine + Nifurtimox Late-Stage Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT)in West Nile, Uganda

A Phase 2/3 interventional study of Eflornithine plus Nifurtimox combination therapy in Trypanosomiasis, African, sponsored by Epicentre. Terminated at 1 site in Uganda. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2007-06-21.

Sponsored by Epicentre · Phase 2/3 and Interventional

Why this study was terminated
Because of unexpectedly reduced disease prevalence in the study area, a pragmatic decision was taken to terminate recruitment in March 2003.
Phase
Phase 2/3
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
31
Allocation
Not applicable
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This case series study follows on a terminated randomised clinical trial in a nearby location of Uganda, in which the combination of eflornithine + nifurtimox showed very promising efficacy and safety. The study's purpose is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this combination in a larger group of late-stage Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) patients.

02

Conditions studied

  • Trypanosomiasis, African

Keywords

  • Human African trypanosomiasis
  • sleeping sickness
  • Trypanosoma brucei gambiense
  • combination
  • eflornithine
  • nifurtimox
  • Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) due to Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in the late stage (stage 2 or meningo-encephalitic)
03

In context

Trypanosomiasis, African

26 studies on the registry are indexed under Trypanosomiasis, African; 1 is open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 31 is below the median of 155 across 24 interventional studies indexed under Trypanosomiasis, African.

Browse Trypanosomiasis, African studies →

Lead sponsor

Epicentre is the lead sponsor of 49 studies on the registry; 6 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Stage 2 infection with Trypanosoma brucei gambiense diagnosed within the previous 14 days, as defined by either of the following: (i) Presence of trypanosomes in blood or lymph node fluid and WBC count in CSF > 5 / mm3, or (ii) Presence of trypanosomes in the CSF with any CSF WBC count
  • Residence in the study area
  • Written (to be obtained from parent/guardian for children under 18 years and patients with impaired cognition)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy or clinical history suggestive thereof
  • Weight \< 10 Kg
  • History of any HAT treatment within the previous 24 months
  • Inability to undergo hospitalisation or attend follow-up visits during the 24 months following discharge
  • Severe anemia (\< 5g/dl)
  • Active tuberculosis (sputum positive)
  • positive (if patient has been tested and results are known)
  • Severe renal or hepatic failure
  • Bacterial or cryptococcal meningitis
  • Other severe underlying diseases upon admission
  • Refugee status
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(3)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

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You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Hemoglobin (Hb)

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. A low level is anaemia, which can cause tiredness and breathlessness. Measured in g/dL or g/L (9 g/dL is 90 g/L).

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2 / Phase 3
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
31 participants (actual)

Interventions

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Treatment failure (death within 30 days of inclusion, or later if judged as related to Human African trypanosomiasis; termination of treatment due to adverse events; evidence of infection relapse at or after discharge, up to 24 months post discharge)

    Time frame: 24 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Occurrence and severity of serious clinically apparent adverse events

    Time frame: treatment period and up to one month post discharge

  2. Occurrence and severity of biochemical (ALAT, creatinine, bilirubin) and haematological (abnormal total and differential leukocyte count, haemoglobin) adverse events

    Time frame: treatment period

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Yumbe District Hospital
    Yumbe, Yumbe District, Uganda
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Priotto G, Fogg C, Balasegaram M, Erphas O, Louga A, Checchi F, Ghabri S, Piola P. Three drug combinations for late-stage Trypanosoma brucei gambiense sleeping sickness: a randomized clinical trial in Uganda. PLoS Clin Trials. 2006 Dec 8;1(8):e39. doi: 10.1371/journal.pctr.0010039. PubMed 17160135 ↗
09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 21, 2007, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00489658
Lead sponsor
Epicentre
Collaborators
Médecins Sans Frontières, France
First posted
Jun 21, 2007
Start date
Oct 2002
Last update
Jun 21, 2007

Study contacts

Patrice Piola, MD MSc
principal investigator · Epicentre
Gerardo Priotto, MD MPH
study director · Epicentre

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is terminated, as verified in Jun 2007. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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Discussion

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Studies of the drugs tested here: Eflornithine · Nifurtimox

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