Melarsoprol

Melarsoprol
Clinical data
Pregnancy; category	?;
Routes of; administration	IV
ATC code	P01CD01 (WHO) QP51AD04 (WHO);
Legal status
Legal status	?;
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	?
Metabolism	?
Elimination half-life	35 hours
Excretion	Renal
Identifiers
	IUPAC name (2-(4-(4,6-diamino-1,3,5-triazin-2-ylamino)phenyl)-; 1,3,2-dithiarsolan-4-yl)methanol;
CAS Number	494-79-1;
PubChem CID	10311;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID90862033 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.007.086
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C12H15AsN6OS2
Molar mass	398.341 g/mol g·mol−1

Melarsoprol (INN) is a medicinal drug used in the treatment of Human African trypanosomiasis.^[1] It is also sold under the trade names “Mel B” and “Melarsen Oxide-BAL.”

Melarsoprol is also used in the treatment of Chagas disease^{[citation needed]} and sleeping sickness, the former cause by trypanosoma cruzi and the latter by trypanosoma brucei.

Side effects

Being a toxic organic compound of arsenic, melarsoprol is a highly dangerous treatment which is only administered by injection under the supervision of a physician.

It is known to cause a range of side effects including convulsions, fever, loss of consciousness, rashes, bloody stools, nausea, and vomiting. It is fatal in and of itself in around 8% of cases^[2].

Alternatives

Eflornithine is a more modern and far less dangerous treatment for sleeping sickness,^[3] but is expensive, not widely available on the market, and most of its supply comes from donations from its manufacturer. Moreover, eflornithine is effective only for West African Sleeping Sickness; it has no effect on East African Sleeping Sickness.

References

^ Bisser S, N'Siesi FX, Lejon V; et al. (2007). "Equivalence trial of melarsoprol and nifurtimox monotherapy and combination therapy for the treatment of second-stage Trypanosoma brucei gambiense sleeping sickness". J. Infect. Dis. 195 (3): 322–9. doi:10.1086/510534. PMID 17205469. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Bulletin of the World Health Organization vol.84 no.10 Genebra Oct. 2006 - Melarsoprol versus eflornithine for treating late-stage Gambian trypanosomiasis in the Republic of the Congo
^ Chappuis F, Udayraj N, Stietenroth K, Meussen A, Bovier PA (2005). "Eflornithine is safer than melarsoprol for the treatment of second-stage Trypanosoma brucei gambiense human African trypanosomiasis". Clin. Infect. Dis. 41 (5): 748–51. doi:10.1086/432576. PMID 16080099.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

This antiinfective drug article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[pmid17205469-1] Bisser S, N'Siesi FX, Lejon V; et al. (2007). "Equivalence trial of melarsoprol and nifurtimox monotherapy and combination therapy for the treatment of second-stage Trypanosoma brucei gambiense sleeping sickness". J. Infect. Dis. 195 (3): 322–9. doi:10.1086/510534. PMID 17205469. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[2] Bulletin of the World Health Organization vol.84 no.10 Genebra Oct. 2006 - Melarsoprol versus eflornithine for treating late-stage Gambian trypanosomiasis in the Republic of the Congo

[pmid16080099-3] Chappuis F, Udayraj N, Stietenroth K, Meussen A, Bovier PA (2005). "Eflornithine is safer than melarsoprol for the treatment of second-stage Trypanosoma brucei gambiense human African trypanosomiasis". Clin. Infect. Dis. 41 (5): 748–51. doi:10.1086/432576. PMID 16080099.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[1]