azithromycin + sulfadoxine + pyrimethamine

This investigational combination treatment regimen, frequently abbreviated as SPAZ, consists of the small molecule antimicrobial drugs azithromycin, sulfadoxine, and pyrimethamine. Developed and evaluated by the University of Melbourne in collaboration with the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, the regimen was studied in a Phase 3 randomized controlled trial (NCT01136850) for the intermittent preventive treatment of malaria and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in pregnant women. The combination aims to reduce the incidence of low birth weight, maternal anemia, and neonatal mortality by providing broad-spectrum protection against malaria parasites and common reproductive tract infections. Sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine function as antifolate agents that inhibit dihydropteroate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase, respectively, in *Plasmodium falciparum*. Azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic, inhibits the 50S ribosomal subunit, offering both additional antimalarial activity and effective treatment for bacterial STIs such as Chlamydia and Syphilis. In the clinical trial context, this pharmaceutical regimen was administered alongside the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs).

Other names

azithromycin + sulfadoxine + pyrimethamine + LLIN-University of Melbourne-malaria-sexually transmitted infections-anemiasulphadoxine-pyrimethamine plus azithromycinIntermittent Preventive Treatment with Azithromycin-containing Regimens