Effects of Mass Drug Administration of Azithromycin on Mortality and Other Outcomes Among 1-11 Month Old Infants in Mali (LAKANA)

LAKANA , a Cluster-randomized, Double-blinded, Parallel Group, Controlled Trial, Testing the Effects of Mass Drug Administration of Azithromycin on Mortality and Other Outcomes Among 1-11 Month Old Infants in Rural Mali.

The LAKANA trial will assess the impact on mortality and other health outcomes of quarterly and biannual azithromycin mass drug administration (MDA) when delivered to 1-11-month (29-364 days) old infants in a high-mortality setting where malaria is holoendemic but there is also a functioning seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) program in place. The long-term goal is to more precisely define the role of mass azithromycin treatments as an intervention for reducing childhood mortality, and to determine the most effective treatment regimen. The main study hypotheses in terms of mortality effect are: i) Biannual azithromycin MDA to 1-11 month old infants reduces their mortality, ii) Quarterly azithromycin MDA to 1-11 month old infants reduces their mortality, iii) Quarterly azithromycin MDA has a bigger mortality effect than biannual MDA.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Mortality
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Placebo; Drug: Azithromycin

Detailed Description

Mass drug administration (MDA) of azithromycin has been shown to reduce under-5 mortality in some but not all sub-Saharan African settings. Because of the observed heterogeneity and possible effect modification by SMC or other co-interventions, further trials in new settings are needed in order to make evidence-based public health recommendations about the use of this treatment. The objectives of the LAKANA trial are:

• To evaluate the impact of two azithromycin MDA regimens on infant mortality and other health outcomes, when provided in a rural West-African high-mortality context with an ongoing seasonal malaria chemoprevention program.
• To evaluate the effect of alternative MDA frequencies on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and host microbiota composition.
• To test hypotheses that azithromycin MDA eliminates malaria parasitaemia and reduces systemic and intestinal inflammation in asymptomatic children and to collect and store biological samples for assessing other possible mechanisms of azithromycin effect.
• To investigate the feasibility of alternative azithromycin MDA strategies, including economic analysis.

The LAKANA trial will be conducted in 1151 villages from 7-10 health districts in the Kayes, Kita and Koulikoro regions of Mali. LAKANA is a cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, parallel-group, three-arm clinical trial, with adaptive design. Participating villages will be randomly allocated to three different intervention groups in a ratio of 3 : 2 : 4 (control : azithromycin quarterly : azithromycin biannually). Within each participating village, consenting households will be visited quarterly (at 3-month intervals), nine times. At the first eight of these visits, 1-11-month-old eligible infants (age 29-364 days), for whom there is a consent for study drug provision, will be given a single dose of study drug (azithromycin mixture or respective placebo mixture).

Mortality and serious adverse events (SAEs) data will be collected, and mortality-related questions answered using data from all the included 1151 villages. Mixed-effect Poisson regression model will be used to estimate the intervention effects on mortality, with random intercepts for the clusters. The investigators will explore effect modification by testing for interaction between the MDA intervention and the following variables:

• Age at the time of the MDA
• Sex of the child
• Weight-for-age
• Seasonality: rainy season vs non-rainy season at the time of the MDA
• SMC given to the child within 3 months before an MDA
• Order of MDA in the village
• District of residence
• Distance from the nearest health facility (in km)
• Household asset index
• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) index
• National outreach strategy category (standard/advanced)

The investigators will address the other study questions using a smaller separate secondary sample of 59 villages located around four selected health centers close to the city of Kita and a similar number of villages closer to Bamako, i.e. in Koulikoro or Kati (tertiary sample).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 149201
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Mali
  • Bamako, Mali, BP 251
    • Center for Vaccine Development CVD-Mali

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 3 years to 2 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

On a cluster (village) level:

1. Location within Kayes, Kita, or Koulikoro region of Mali
2. Considered accessible and safe by the local health authorities and research team
3. Considered non-urban by the local health authorities and research team
4. Permission from community leadership

On a household level (for trial enrollment):

1. Location within a cluster that is included in the study
2. Verbal consent from a head of household or an adult authorized by her / him

On a child level (for receiving study medication):

1. Residence in a household enrolled in the trial
2. Age between 29 and 364 days
3. Verbal consent from at least one caregiver

Exclusion Criteria:

On child level (for not receiving study medication):

1. Weight below 3.0 kg
2. Known allergy to macrolides, as judged by a caregiver report of the infant experiencing an adverse reaction after oral ingestion of medication, which was deemed likely to be a macrolide by the interviewing data collector.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Control; Placebo mixture will be administered as a single dose in oral suspension form for children 1-11 months of age: Single-dose of 0.5 ml / kg child weight; Participating households within villages allocated to this group will be visited quarterly (at 3-month intervals), for nine times. At the first eight of these visits, 1-11 month old eligible infants, for whom there is a consent for study drug provision, will be weighed and given a single dose of placebo mixture.	Drug: Placebo; Placebo mixture will be administered as a single dose in oral suspension form for children 1-11 months of age. Weight-based dosing will be used: single-dose of 0.5 ml / kg child weight.
Active Comparator: Azithromycin-biannually (Azi-biannual); Azithromycin or placebo will be administered as a single dose in oral suspension form for children 1-11 months of age: Single-dose of 0.5 ml / kg child weight; Participating households within villages allocated to this group will be visited quarterly (at 3-month intervals), for nine times. At the first eight of these visits, 1-11 month old eligible infants, for whom there is a consent for study drug provision, will be weighed and given a single dose of study drug.; Azithromycin will be given at quarterly visits between January and June, and Placebo mixture will be given at quarterly visits between July and December. Azithromycin dose will be 20 mg / kg.	Drug: Placebo; Placebo mixture will be administered as a single dose in oral suspension form for children 1-11 months of age. Weight-based dosing will be used: single-dose of 0.5 ml / kg child weight.; Drug: Azithromycin; Azithromycin will be administered as a single dose in oral suspension form for children 1-11 months of age. Weight-based dosing will be used: single-dose of 0.5 ml (20 mg) / kg child weight.
Active Comparator: Azithromycin-quarterly; Azithromycin will be administered as a single dose in oral suspension form for children 1-11 months of age: Single-dose of 0.5 ml (20 mg) / kg child weight.; Participating households within villages allocated to this group will be visited quarterly (at 3-month intervals), for nine times. At the first eight of these visits, 1-11 month old eligible infants, for whom there is a consent for study drug provision, will be weighed and given a single dose of azithromycin.	Drug: Azithromycin; Azithromycin will be administered as a single dose in oral suspension form for children 1-11 months of age. Weight-based dosing will be used: single-dose of 0.5 ml (20 mg) / kg child weight.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mortality	Mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 years at risk) among children 1-11 months of age.	3-month time interval (total of 8 intervals per cluster)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Morbidity	Morbidity (14-day period prevalence of fever with respiratory symptoms (ARI), fever without respiratory symptoms (malaria), and diarrhea) in children aged 4-14 months assessed in each participating cluster (village) from the secondary outcome sample.	3-month time interval (total of 8 intervals per cluster)
Percentage of moderate or severe stunting	Percentage of moderate or severe stunting (length-for-age Z-score < -2 / -3) in 6-8 and 12-14 months old children from the secondary outcome sample.	3-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Percentage of moderate or severe wasting	Percentage of moderate or severe wasting (Weight-for-length Z-score < -2 / -3) in 6-8 and 12-14 months old children from the secondary outcome sample.	3-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Prevalence of phenotypic and genotypic AMR resistance to other "ACCESS" group antibiotics	Prevalence of phenotypic and genotypic AMR against other antibiotics categorised by the World Health Organization (WHO) into "ACCESS" group, among azithromycin-resistant E. coli strains isolated from stool samples or azithromycin-resistant S. pneumoniae strains isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs (secondary outcome sample).	12-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Incidence of Adverse events	Incidence of adverse events within 14 days of study drug administration. Data collected from 4-11 months old infants at 9 months after enrollment (secondary outcome sample).	3-month time interval
Incidence of Serious Adverse events	Incidence of serious adverse events (Death, life-threatening event, hospitalization, and other serious events as judged by a study physician) within 14 days of study drug administration, among 1-11 months old infants.	within 14 days after MDA round.
Mortality in children aged 12-59 month	Mortality rate (deaths per 1000 years at risk) among children who were 12-59 month old when the latest azithromycin MDA took place in their village of residence.	3-month time interval (total of 8 intervals per cluster)
Percentage of guardians and health care workers reporting MDA acceptable	Data collected through interviews of guardians and health care workers to assess acceptability of MDA.	24 months after enrollment
Percentage of the study population reached with MDA	Data collected on MDA distribution and through interviews of guardians and health care workers to assess equity of MDA.	24 months after enrollment
Cost and Cost-effectiveness of the intervention	Data collected on MDA distribution to assess the economic aspects of MDA.The effectiveness will be determined by the trial outcome - both the primary outcome of mortality and the secondary outcomes of morbidity and possible AMR effects. The effectiveness will be expressed in different units such as deaths averted, or disability adjusted life years (DALYs).	24 months after enrollment
Length-for-age Z-score	Length-for-age Z-score in 6-8 and 12-14 months old children from the secondary outcome sample. Length measures will be taken at 15, 18, 21, and 24 months after the enrollment of the village into the trial. Length-for-age Z-score will be calculated using the WHO Child Growth Standards.	3-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Length	Attained length in cm in 6-8 and 12-14 months old children from the secondary outcome sample. Length measures will be taken at 15, 18, 21, and 24 months after the enrollment of the village into the trial.	3-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Weight	Attained weight in grams in 6-8 and 12-14 months old children from the secondary outcome sample. Weight measures will be taken at 15, 18, 21, and 24 months after the enrollment of the village into the trial.	3-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Weight-for age Z-score	Weight-for age Z-score in 6-8 and 12-14 months old children from the secondary outcome sample. Weight measures will be taken at 15, 18, 21, and 24 months after the enrollment of the village into the trial. Weight-for-age Z-score will be calculated using the WHO Child Growth Standards.	3-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Weight-for-length Z-score	Weight-for-length Z-score in 6-8 and 12-14 months old children from the secondary outcome sample. Length and weight measures will be taken at 15, 18, 21, and 24 months after the enrollment of the village into the trial. Weight-for-length Z score will be calculated using the WHO Child Growth Standards.	3-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Mid-upper arm circumference	Mid-upper arm circumference in 6-8 and 12-14 months old children from the secondary outcome sample. Measures will be taken at 15, 18, 21, and 24 months after the enrollment of the village into the trial.	3-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Percentage of moderate or severe Underweight	Percentage of moderate or severe Underweight (Weight-for-age Z-score < -2 / -3) in 6-8 and 12-14 months old children from the secondary outcome sample.	3-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Prevalence of phenotypic and genotypic macrolide resistance	prevalence of phenotypic azithromycin resistance among S. pneumoniae or E. coli strains isolated from 4-14-month-old children, who have received 1-4 rounds of azithromycin MDA	12-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Prevalence of phenotypic and genotypic macrolide resistance	prevalence of phenotypic azithromycin resistance among S. pneumoniae or E. coli strains isolated from 49-59-month-old children, who live in the same Malian communities but have not received azithromycin MDA	12-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Prevalence of phenotypic and genotypic macrolide resistance	prevalence of phenotypic azithromycin resistance among S. pneumoniae or E. coli strains isolated from 15-26-month-old children, who have received 1-4 rounds of azithromycin MDA and live in a village that stopped azithromycin MDA 1 year before	12-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Prevalence of phenotypic and genotypic macrolide resistance	prevalence of phenotypic azithromycin resistance among S. pneumoniae or E. coli strains isolated from 24-35-month-old children, who have received 1-4 rounds of azithromycin MDA 1 year before and who live in a village that continued azithromycin MDA	12-month time interval (total of 3 intervals per cluster)
Blood C-reactive protein concentration	Biological samples taken from 4-11 months old infants to assess effect of azithromycin MDA on systemic inflammation (blood C-reactive protein concentration) (secondary outcome sample).	Biological samples taken before and 14 days after the fourth MDA round, 9 months after village enrollment.
Blood malaria parasitemia and hemoglobin concentration	Biological samples taken from 4-11 months old infants to assess effect of azithromycin MDA on malaria prevalence and blood hemoglobin concentration (secondary outcome sample).	Biological samples taken before and 14 days after the fourth MDA round, 9 months after village enrollment.
Fecal neopterin, myeloperoxidase, and alpha-1-antitrypsin concentrations	Biological samples taken from 4-11 months old infants to assess effect of azithromycin MDA on intestinal inflammation and function (secondary outcome sample).	Biological samples taken before and 14 days after the fourth MDA round, 9 months after village enrollment.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Tampere University
• Collaborators: University College London Hospitals; Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School; Center for Vaccine Development CVD-Mali, Bamako, Mali; Tro Da Ltd, UK; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Funder); Pfizer Inc. (Provider of study drugs)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Per Ashorn, MD, PhD, Center for Child Health Research, Tampere University; Principal Investigator: Ulla Ashorn, PhD, Center for Child Health Research, Tampere University; Principal Investigator: Samba Sow, MD, MSc, Center for Vaccine Development CVD-Mali; Principal Investigator: Nigel Klein, MBBS, PhD, University College London Hospitals; Principal Investigator: Camilla Ducker, MBBS, MSc, Tro Da Ltd, UK; Principal Investigator: Yin Bun Cheung, PhD, Centre for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Medical School; Principal Investigator: Dagmar Alber, PhD, University College London Hospitals

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• The study website providing access to essential study materials, including the study protocol, Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and Data Collection Forms (DCFs).

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 15, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 31, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 22, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 5, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): June 11, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 21, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 20, 2025
• Last Verified: May 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Inflammation; Safety; Infection; Feasibility; Azithromycin; Acceptability; Cost; Mass Drug Administration; Antimicrobial Resistance; Infant and Child Mortality; Infant and Child health; Infant and Child growth; Infant and Child morbidity
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Azithromycin
• Other Study ID Numbers: LAKANA trial; INV-003354 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data collected during the trial, after deidentification. (The details are to be determined).
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Starting 6 months after publication
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: (The details are to be determined)
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP; ICF; CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No