Nifurtimox/eflornithine

Nifurtimox/eflornithine
Combination of
Nifurtimoxantiparasitic agent
Eflornithineantiparasitic agent

Nifurtimox/eflornithine is a combination of two antiparasitic drugs, nifurtimox and eflornithine, used in the treatment of African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness).[1][2] It is included in the World Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines.[3]

A treatment regimen known as nifurtimox-eflornithine combination treatment (NECT) is used in second stage gambiense African trypanosomiasis throughout Africa where the disease is endemic.[4] The regimen involves slow infusion of 400 mg of eflornithine every 12 hours for 7 days combined with 15 mg/kg of nifurtimox orally three times a day for 10 days.[4]

  1. ^ Priotto G, Kasparian S, Mutombo W, Ngouama D, Ghorashian S, Arnold U, et al. (July 2009). "Nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy for second-stage African Trypanosoma brucei gambiense trypanosomiasis: a multicentre, randomised, phase III, non-inferiority trial". Lancet. 374 (9683): 56–64. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61117-X. hdl:10144/72797. PMID 19559476. S2CID 32757305.
  2. ^ Alirol E, Schrumpf D, Amici Heradi J, Riedel A, de Patoul C, Quere M, Chappuis F (January 2013). "Nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy for second-stage gambiense human African trypanosomiasis: Médecins Sans Frontières experience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 56 (2): 195–203. doi:10.1093/cid/cis886. PMID 23074318.
  3. ^ "Nifurtimox-eflornithine combination treatment for sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis): WHO wraps up training of key health care personnel". World Health Organization. March 23, 2010. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Franco JR, Simarro PP, Diarra A, Ruiz-Postigo JA, Samo M, Jannin JG (2012). "Monitoring the use of nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy (NECT) in the treatment of second stage gambiense human African trypanosomiasis". Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine. 3: 93–101. doi:10.2147/RRTM.S34399. PMC 6067772. PMID 30100776.