Abstract |
An oral treatment for visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis has been searched for over the last decades. An oral drug would facilitate treatment and lower costs. Oral miltefosine (Zentaris/ASTA Medica AG, Germany), an alkylphosphocholine, is under clinical development for treatment of leishmaniasis. Phase I, II and III clinical trials have been performed in visceral leishmaniasis in India; the overall response rate with 100 mg/day over 4 weeks is 96%. A first clinical trial in New World cutaneous leishmaniasis has shown a final cure rate of 94% at a dose of 150 mg/day over 3 or 4 weeks. Side effects are mainly gastrointestinal ( vomiting, diarrhoea). Furthermore, transient elevation of transaminases or urea/ creatinine has been observed. The clinical results suggest that miltefosine is the first oral therapy that is effective and safe in visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis.
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Authors | C Fischer, A Voss, J Engel |
Journal | Medical microbiology and immunology
(Med Microbiol Immunol)
Vol. 190
Issue 1-2
Pg. 85-7
(Nov 2001)
ISSN: 0300-8584 [Print] Germany |
PMID | 11770118
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
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Chemical References |
- Antiprotozoal Agents
- Phosphorylcholine
- miltefosine
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Topics |
- Administration, Oral
- Adult
- Antiprotozoal Agents
(therapeutic use)
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Clinical Trials as Topic
- Drug Administration Schedule
- Drug Industry
- Humans
- Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous
(drug therapy)
- Leishmaniasis, Visceral
(drug therapy)
- Phosphorylcholine
(analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
- World Health Organization
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