Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) caused by the cestode Echinococcus multilocularis (E. multilocularis) is endemic in wide areas of the Northern hemisphere. Untreated AE progresses and leads to death in more than 90% of cases. Until the advent of
benzimidazoles, no antihelminthic drugs were available to cure AE.
Benzimidazoles have greatly improved the prognosis of patients with AE. However,
benzimidazoles have only a parasitostatic effect on E. multilocularis.
Albendazole (ABZ) must sometimes be withdrawn because of adverse events. Alternative drugs are urgently needed. The antihelminthic
triclabendazole (TCZ) and
clorsulon (CLS) are more effective than ABZ to cure
infections by the liver flukes Fasciola spp. The efficacy of TCZ and CLS was investigated on an in vitro culture of E. multilocularis larval tissue. E. multilocularis vesicles were evaluated for their morphology before and after adding TCZ, TCZ
sulfoxide (TCZSX) and CLS to the larval tissue culture. TCZ at the concentrations of 20 μg/ml culture
solution led to maximum vesicle damage within 12 days and of 25 μg/ml within 13 days, and TCZSX at the concentrations of 20 μg/ml within 20 days and of 25 μg/ml within 14 days. Contrary, CLS added at 5, 10 and 15 μg/ml to culture
solution did not lead to any vesicle damage. TCZ is a promising further candidate drug for the treatment of AE.