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CompletedNCT00906880NECT-FIELDUpdated May 31, 2013

Clinical Study to Assess the Tolerability, Feasibility and Effectiveness of Nifurtimox and Eflornithine (NECT) for the Treatment of Trypanosoma Brucei Gambiense Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) in the Meningo-encephalitic Phase

A Phase 4 interventional study of Nifurtimox-Eflronithine Combination Treatment (NECT) in Human African Trypanosomiasis, sponsored by Drugs for Neglected Diseases. Completed at 6 sites in Congo. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2013-05-31.

Sponsored by Drugs for Neglected Diseases · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
630
Allocation
Not applicable
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Multicenter, open label, uncontrolled phase IIIb study of therapeutic use of the combination of nifurtimox and eflornithine (NECT) for the treatment of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) in the meningo-encephalitic phase.

Overall objectives:

Assess the clinical tolerability, feasibility and effectiveness of NECT co-administration to treat patients with T.b. gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) in the meningo-encephalitic phase in actual real-life conditions (regular treatment centers of the National HAT Control Programme, NGO treatment centers).

Primary objective:

  • Assess the clinical response of the NECT co-administration under field conditions.

Secondary objectives:

  • Assess the incidence and type of adverse events (AE), and the capacity of the treatment centers to deal with these.
  • Assess the feasibility of the implementation of the NECT coadministration by the health center.
  • Assess the effectiveness of the NECT co-administration at 24* months after treatment.
02

Conditions studied

  • Human African Trypanosomiasis

Keywords

  • Human African Trypanosomiasis
  • HAT
  • sleeping sickness
  • combination treatment
  • nifurtimox
  • eflornithine
  • Human African Trypanosomiasis in the meningo-encephalitic phase (stage 2 HAT)
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 630 is above the median of 155 across 24 interventional studies indexed under Trypanosomiasis, African.

Browse Trypanosomiasis, African studies →

Lead sponsor

Drugs for Neglected Diseases is the lead sponsor of 58 studies on the registry; 3 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

All patients diagnosed as stage 2 HAT according to the diagnostic protocols in use at the treatment center (generally, if presence of parasites in blood, lymph node fluid or CSF and an elevated white blood cell count in the CSF, but this can vary from center to center) will be included if a written is given by the patient or a legally acceptable representative if the patient is a minor or unable to communicate.

  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding women: On a case by case basis according to the guidelines of the National HAT Control Programme or the NGO, the Investigator will decide to treat the patient or to defer the treatment. In case of inclusion, the mother-child pairs or the children of lactating mothers will be closely monitored during treatment and follow up.
  • Children under 2 years of age: On a case by case basis, the Investigator will decide to treat an infant with NECT or an alternative treatment (preferably eflornithine). In case of inclusion, these infants will be closely monitored during treatment and follow up like all children less than 12 years of age.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unable to take oral medication, and impossibility to use a nasogastric tube.
  • Treatment failure after nifurtimox-eflornithine treatment.
  • Any other condition or reason for which the Investigator (or the responsible treating staff member) judges that another or no HAT treatment is warranted.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

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

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

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05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
630 participants (actual)

Interventions

  • DrugNifurtimox-Eflronithine Combination Treatment (NECT)

    co-administration of nifurtimox (10 days, 15 mg/kg/day, p.o. TID) and eflornithine (7 days, 400 mg/kg/day, i.v. BID)

    Also known as: nifurtimox (Lampit), eflornithine (Ornidyl)

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Proportion of patients discharged alive from the hospital or the treatment center

Secondary outcomes

  1. Incidence of serious AE (SAE) and severe AE (CTC score 3 and 4) related to treatment, and overall frequency and nature of AE and need for additional medications to manage these.

    Time frame: up to 24 months after treatment

  2. Effectiveness: The clinical cure rate (Survival without clinical and/or parasitological signs of HAT)

    Time frame: 24 months after treatment

  3. Number of temporary treatment interruptions, number of premature treatment cessations, length of hospitalization stay (including observation period), treatment compliance (deviation in dosing), and other feasibility indicators.

    Time frame: during the treatment/hospitalisation time

07

Study locations

6 sites
  • HGR (General Reference Hospital) Kwamouth
    Kwamouth, Bandundu, Congo
  • HGR (General Reference Hospital) Yasa Bonga
    Yasa Bonga, Bandundu, Congo
  • CDTC (Centre de Dépistage, Traitement et Contrôle) Katanda
    Katanda, East Kasai, Congo
  • CRT (Centre de Réference et de Traitement) Dipumba, Dipumba general hospital
    Mbuji Mayi, East Kasai, Congo
  • HGR (General Reference Hospital) Ngandajika
    Ngandajika, East Kasai, Congo
  • HGR (General Reference Hospital) Bandundu
    Bandundu, Congo
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Schmid C, Kuemmerle A, Blum J, Ghabri S, Kande V, Mutombo W, Ilunga M, Lumpungu I, Mutanda S, Nganzobo P, Tete D, Mubwa N, Kisala M, Blesson S, Mordt OV. In-hospital safety in field conditions of nifurtimox eflornithine combination therapy (NECT) for T. b. gambiense sleeping sickness. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2012;6(11):e1920. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001920. Epub 2012 Nov 29. PubMed 23209861 ↗
  • Kuemmerle A, Schmid C, Bernhard S, Kande V, Mutombo W, Ilunga M, Lumpungu I, Mutanda S, Nganzobo P, Tete DN, Kisala M, Burri C, Blesson S, Valverde Mordt O. Effectiveness of Nifurtimox Eflornithine Combination Therapy (NECT) in T. b. gambiense second stage sleeping sickness patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Report from a field study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2021 Nov 8;15(11):e0009903. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009903. eCollection 2021 Nov. PubMed 34748572 ↗
  • Kuemmerle A, Schmid C, Kande V, Mutombo W, Ilunga M, Lumpungu I, Mutanda S, Nganzobo P, Ngolo D, Kisala M, Valverde Mordt O. Prescription of concomitant medications in patients treated with Nifurtimox Eflornithine Combination Therapy (NECT) for T.b. gambiense second stage sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020 Jan 27;14(1):e0008028. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008028. eCollection 2020 Jan. PubMed 31986140 ↗

Related links

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 31, 2013, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00906880
Lead sponsor
Drugs for Neglected Diseases
Collaborators
Ministry of Public Health, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 21, 2009
Start date
Apr 2009
Primary completion
Sep 2010
Completion
Jan 2013
Last update
May 31, 2013

Study contacts

Johannes Blum, MD
principal investigator · Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute
Victor Kande, MD
principal investigator · PNLTHA-DRC;

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in May 2013. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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