Arsthinol (Balarsen) in Dermatology

Arsthinol nanosuspensions: pharmacokinetics and anti-leukaemic activity on NB4 promyelocytic leukaemia cells

“…The lesser‐known arsthinol (Figure 1), which was used in the treatment of amoebiasis 6 and in dermatology, 7 has shown a very good effectiveness on U937 myelomonocytic cells and on K562 erythroleukaemic cells as compared with arsenic trioxide (As 2 O 3 ) and other dithiarsolanes 8,9 . Like other dithiarsolanes, arsthinol is very poorly soluble in water 10 and has only been marketed as an oral formulation in the 1950s 11…”

Speciation of arsenic in urine following intravenous administration of arsthinol in mice

“…1a) has been active in vitro on leukemia cell lines, with a best therapeutic index (TI = LD 50 /IC 50 ) than arsenic trioxide and other organoarsenicals. Interestingly, arsthinol was used in the 1950s (Balarsen Ò ) in the treatment of amebiasis (Most et al 1954) and in dermatology (Goldman et al 1956) and could benefit from a renewal of interest in hematology.…”

Arsthinol nanosuspensions: pharmacokinetics and anti-leukaemic activity on NB4 promyelocytic leukaemia cells

“…The lesser-known arsthinol (Figure 1), which was used in the treatment of amoebiasis [6] and in dermatology, [7] has shown a very good effectiveness on U937 myelomonocytic cells and on K562 erythroleukaemic cells as compared with arsenic trioxide (As 2 O 3 ) and other dithiarsolanes. [8,9] Like other dithiarsolanes, arsthinol is very poorly soluble in water [10] and has only been marketed as an oral formulation in the 1950s.…”