Eflornithine

Eflornithine
Clinical data
Trade namesVaniqa, Iwilfin, others
Other namesα-difluoromethylornithine or DFMO
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
License data
Routes of
administration		intravenous, topical
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability100% (Intravenous)
Negligible (topical)
MetabolismNot metabolized
Elimination half-life8 hours
ExcretionKidney
Identifiers
  • (RS)-2,5-Diamino-2-(difluoromethyl)pentanoic acid
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC6H12F2N2O2
Molar mass182.171 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • FC(F)C(N)(C(=O)O)CCCN
  • InChI=1S/C6H12F2N2O2/c7-4(8)6(10,5(11)12)2-1-3-9/h4H,1-3,9-10H2,(H,11,12) checkY
  • Key:VLCYCQAOQCDTCN-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
 ☒NcheckY (what is this?)  (verify)

Eflornithine, sold under the brand name Vaniqa among others, is a medication used to treat African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) and excessive hair growth on the face in women.[1][3][4] Specifically it is used for the second stage of sleeping sickness caused by T. b. gambiense and may be used with nifurtimox.[3][5] It is taken intravenously (injection into a vein) or topically.[3][4] It is an ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor.[2]

Common side effects when applied as a cream include rash, redness, and burning.[4] Side effects of the injectable form include bone marrow suppression, vomiting, and seizures.[5] It is unclear if it is safe to use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.[5] It is recommended typically for children over the age of 12.[5]

Eflornithine was developed in the 1970s and came into medical use in 1990.[6] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[7] In the United States the injectable form can be obtained from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[5] In regions of the world where the disease is common eflornithine is provided for free by the World Health Organization.[8]

  1. ^ a b "Vaniqa- eflornithine hydrochloride cream". DailyMed. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Iwilfin- eflornithine hydrochloride tablet". DailyMed. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "19th WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (April 2015)" (PDF). WHO. April 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  4. ^ a b c "Eflornithine". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e "CDC - African Trypanosomiasis - Resources for Health Professionals". U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 10 August 2016. Archived from the original on 28 November 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  6. ^ Steverding D (2016). "Sleeping Sickness and Nagana Disease Caused by Trypanosoma brucei". In Marcondes CB (ed.). Arthropod Borne Diseases. Springer. p. 292. ISBN 9783319138848. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017.
  7. ^ World Health Organization (2023). The selection and use of essential medicines 2023: web annex A: World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 23rd list (2023). Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/371090. WHO/MHP/HPS/EML/2023.02.
  8. ^ "Trypanosomiasis, human African (sleeping sickness)". World Health Organization. February 2016. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.