Chemotherapy of Onchocerciasis: A Controlled Comparison of Mebendazole, Levamisole, and Diethylcarbamazine

Rivas-Alcala, A.R.; Taylor, Hugh R.; Ruvalcaba-Macias, A.M.; Mackenzie, C. D.; Greene, BruceM.; Domíguez-Vázquez, A.; Lugo-Pfeiffer, C.

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(81)90880-1

Cited by 43 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The drugs and their effects against O. volvulus are listed and summarised in Table 1 . There have been no SAEs attributed to mebendazole [ 7 , 8 ], flubendazole [ 9 ] albendazole [ 10 - 12 ] or doxycycline [ 13 ]. They will therefore not be considered further.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical picture and outcome of Serious Adverse Events in the treatment of Onchocerciasis

Awadzi¹

2003

Filaria J

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Ivermectin (Mectizan®) is the only drug currently recommended for the treatment and control of onchocerciasis. Serious adverse events rarely occur during treatment, except in subjects heavily infected with Loa Loa. This review of drug-related serious adverse events in the treatment of onchocerciasis therefore revisited the pre-Mectizan® reference drugs, DEC and suramin, and other candidate drugs studied extensively for the treatment of human onchocerciasis. The benzimidazole carbamate derivatives and the antibiotic doxycycline were excluded, since no serious adverse events have been reported regarding their use. Using recommended definitions, serious adverse events reported or observed after the use of each drug were summarised, the level of attribution determined, and the results tabulated. Prominence was given to treatment-related deaths. The clinical picture of severe symptomatic postural hypotension is described and used to illustrate the difference between the severity and the seriousness of an adverse event. The epidemiology, management and outcome of serious adverse events are presented. The role of future research is discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical picture and outcome of Serious Adverse Events in the treatment of Onchocerciasis

Awadzi¹

2003

Filaria J

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“…The anthelmintic mebendazole has been the object of a number of investigations with regard to its potential as a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of echinococcosis (Beard etal., 1978;Bekhti etal., 1977) and onchoceriasis (Rivas-Alcala et al, 1981). The variability of the clinical response in patients treated with this drug could be related to its poor bioavailability, and the consequent difficulty of achieving and maintaining effective blood levels.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of mebendazole in man: a pilot study using [3H]‐mebendazole.

Dawson¹,

Allan²,

Watson³

1982

Brit J Clinical Pharma

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“…Mebendazole was found to be ineffective against O. volvulus in a Chimpanzee model; neither microfilariae nor adult worms on the skin were killed perhaps because the drug is poorly absorbed from the alimentary canal [ 219 ]. In human patients, mebendazole (200–300 mg daily for 6–30 days) alone or in combination with levamisole had no significant effects on the microfilariae or adult worms [ 220 , 221 ], although a high dose of mebendazole was suggested to be useful and relatively safe for therapy of onchocerciasis [ 222 ]. However, neither mebendazole alone nor its combination with levamisole was strongly macrofilaricidal in the skin [ 223 ].…”

Section: Lymphatic Filariasis and Other Filariasismentioning

confidence: 99%

Albendazole and Mebendazole as Anti-Parasitic and Anti-Cancer Agents: an Update

2021

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The use of albendazole and mebendazole, i.e., benzimidazole broad-spectrum anthelmintics, in treatment of parasitic infections, as well as cancers, is briefly reviewed. These drugs are known to block the microtubule systems of parasites and mammalian cells leading to inhibition of glucose uptake and transport and finally cell death. Eventually they exhibit ovicidal, larvicidal, and vermicidal effects on parasites, and tumoricidal effects on hosts. Albendazole and mebendazole are most frequently prescribed for treatment of intestinal nematode infections (ascariasis, hookworm infections, trichuriasis, strongyloidiasis, and enterobiasis) and can also be used for intestinal tapeworm infections (taeniases and hymenolepiasis). However, these drugs also exhibit considerable therapeutic effects against tissue nematode/cestode infections (visceral, ocular, neural, and cutaneous larva migrans, anisakiasis, trichinosis, hepatic and intestinal capillariasis, angiostrongyliasis, gnathostomiasis, gongylonemiasis, thelaziasis, dracunculiasis, cerebral and subcutaneous cysticercosis, and echinococcosis). Albendazole is also used for treatment of filarial infections (lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, loiasis, mansonellosis, and dirofilariasis) alone or in combination with other drugs, such as ivermectin or diethylcarbamazine. Albendazole was tried even for treatment of trematode (fascioliasis, clonorchiasis, opisthorchiasis, and intestinal fluke infections) and protozoan infections (giardiasis, vaginal trichomoniasis, cryptosporidiosis, and microsporidiosis). These drugs are generally safe with few side effects; however, when they are used for prolonged time (>14-28 days) or even only 1 time, liver toxicity and other side reactions may occur. In hookworms, Trichuris trichiura, possibly Ascaris lumbricoides, Wuchereria bancrofti, and Giardia sp., there are emerging issues of drug resistance. It is of particular note that albendazole and mebendazole have been repositioned as promising anti-cancer drugs. These drugs have been shown to be active in vitro and in vivo (animals) against liver, lung, ovary, prostate, colorectal, breast, head and neck cancers, and melanoma. Two clinical reports for albendazole and 2 case reports for mebendazole have revealed promising effects of these drugs in human patients having variable types of cancers. However, because of the toxicity of albendazole, for example, neutropenia due to myelosuppression, if high doses are used for a prolonged time, mebendazole is currently more popularly used than albendazole in anti-cancer clinical trials.

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Chemotherapy of Onchocerciasis: A Controlled Comparison of Mebendazole, Levamisole, and Diethylcarbamazine

Cited by 43 publications

References 18 publications

Clinical picture and outcome of Serious Adverse Events in the treatment of Onchocerciasis

Clinical picture and outcome of Serious Adverse Events in the treatment of Onchocerciasis

The pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of mebendazole in man: a pilot study using [3H]‐mebendazole.

Albendazole and Mebendazole as Anti-Parasitic and Anti-Cancer Agents: an Update

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