Handbook Of Drugs For Tropical Parasitic Infections

Parasitic infections such as malaria, schistosomiasis, trypanosomiasis and onchoceriasis are the scourge of the tropical countries. Many of the drugs used for the treatment of tropical parasitic infections were introduced more than 30 years ago. Most of these drugs are toxic and have complicated dosage regimens, but, because of the low economic incentive, pharmaceutical companies have shown little interest in developing new drugs to control diseases prevalent in developing countries.; However, there has been notable progress in research into parasitic diseases and a number of important drugs have been introduced for some diseases since the 1970s. Moreover, recent data on the pharmacokinetics and field evaluations of these drugs have revealed that their effectiveness can be improved and their safety increased.; This handbook is designed to provide information about the pharmacological properties and therapeutic uses of the major drugs currently employed to combat the human parasitic infections encountered in the tropics. Each of the 38 drugs covered in the book are presented under the following headings: chemical structure, physical properties, pharmacology and mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, clinical trials, pregnancy and lactation, side effects, contraindications and precautions, dosage, preparations, and references. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Preface......Page 8 Acknowledgement......Page 10 Abbreviations......Page 11 Introduction......Page 12 Drug recommendations......Page 17 Albendazole......Page 23 Amphotericin B......Page 28 Antimony compounds......Page 32 Artemisinin and derivatives......Page 38 Bephenium hydroxynaphthoate......Page 44 Bithionol......Page 47 Chloroquine......Page 50 Dehydroemetine......Page 58 Diethylcarbamazine......Page 61 Diloxanide......Page 68 Eflornithine......Page 71 Halofantrine......Page 75 Ivermectin......Page 79 Levamisole......Page 85 Mebendazole......Page 89 Mefloquine......Page 93 Melarsoprol......Page 100 Metrifonate......Page 106 Metronidazole......Page 111 Niclosamide......Page 117 Nifurtimox......Page 120 Oxamniquine......Page 124 Pentamidine......Page 128 Piperazine......Page 134 Praziquantel......Page 139 Primaquine......Page 144 Proguanil......Page 148 Pyrantel......Page 152 Pyrimethamine......Page 155 Pyrvinium pamoate......Page 158 Quinine......Page 160 Sulphadoxine......Page 166 Suramin......Page 171 Tetracyclines......Page 175 Thiabendazole......Page 179 Tinidazole......Page 183 Index......Page 188