Tribendimidine and albendazole for treating soil-transmitted helminths, Strongyloides stercoralis and Taenia spp.: open-label randomized trial

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol. 2; no. 10; p. e322
• Main Authors: Steinmann, Peter, Zhou, Xiao-Nong, Du, Zun-Wei, Jiang, Jin-Yong, Xiao, Shu-Hua, Wu, Zhong-Xing, Zhou, Hui, Utzinger, Jürg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.10.2008; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Adolescent; Albendazole - administration & dosage; Animals; Anthelmintics - administration & dosage; Child; Child, Preschool; China; Drug dosages; Drug therapy; Humans; Infections; Infectious Diseases/Epidemiology and Control of Infectious Diseases; Infectious Diseases/Helminth Infections; Infectious Diseases/Neglected Tropical Diseases; Male; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Phenylenediamines - administration & dosage; Public Health and Epidemiology; Public Health and Epidemiology/Infectious Diseases; Soil - parasitology; Strongyloides stercoralis - drug effects; Strongyloidiasis - drug therapy; Strongyloidiasis - parasitology; Taenia - drug effects; Taeniasis - drug therapy; Taeniasis - parasitology; Treatment Outcome; Tropical diseases; Administration, Oral; Humans; Strongyloidiasis; Anthelmintics; Child, Preschool; Male; Taeniasis; Treatment Outcome; Albendazole; Animals; Taenia; Phenylenediamines; China; Adolescent; Strongyloides stercoralis; Soil; Child
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000322

Tribendimidine is an anthelminthic drug with a broad spectrum of activity. In 2004 the drug was approved by Chinese authorities for human use. The efficacy of tribendimidine against soil-transmitted helminths (Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, and Trichuris trichiura) has been established, and new laboratory investigations point to activity against cestodes and Strongyloides ratti. In an open-label randomized trial, the safety and efficacy of a single oral dose of albendazole or tribendimidine (both drugs administered at 200 mg for 5- to 14-year-old children, and 400 mg for individuals > or = 15 years) against soil-transmitted helminths, Strongyloides stercoralis, and Taenia spp. were assessed in a village in Yunnan province, People's Republic of China. The analysis was on a per-protocol basis and the trial is registered with controlled-trials.com (number ISRCTN01779485). Both albendazole and tribendimidine were highly efficacious against A. lumbricoides and, moderately, against hookworm. The efficacy against T. trichiura was low. Among 57 individuals who received tribendimidine, the prevalence of S. stercoralis was reduced from 19.3% to 8.8% (observed cure rate 54.5%, p = 0.107), and that of Taenia spp. from 26.3% to 8.8% (observed cure rate 66.7%, p = 0.014). Similar prevalence reductions were noted among the 66 albendazole recipients. Taking into account "new" infections discovered at treatment evaluation, which were most likely missed pre-treatment due to the lack of sensitivity of available diagnostic approaches, the difference between the drug-specific net Taenia spp. cure rates was highly significant in favor of tribendimidine (p = 0.001). No significant adverse events of either drug were observed. Our results suggest that single-dose oral tribendimidine can be employed in settings with extensive intestinal polyparasitism, and its efficacy against A. lumbricoides and hookworm was confirmed. The promising results obtained with tribendimidine against S. stercoralis and Taenia spp. warrant further investigations. In a next step, multiple-dose schedules should be evaluated.