ALBENZA SUMMARY
ALBENZA (albendazole) is an orally administered broad-spectrum anthelmintic.
ALBENZA is indicated for the treatment of the following infections:
Neurocysticercosis
ALBENZA is indicated for the treatment of parenchymal neurocysticercosis due to active lesions caused by larval forms of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium.
Lesions considered responsive to albendazole therapy appear as nonenhancing cysts with no surrounding edema on contrast-enhanced computerized tomography. Clinical studies in patients with lesions of this type demonstrate a 74% to 88% reduction in number of cysts; 40% to 70% of albendazole-treated patients showed resolution of all active cysts.
Hydatid Disease
ALBENZA is indicated for the treatment of cystic hydatid disease of the liver, lung, and peritoneum, caused by the larval form of the dog tapeworm, Echinococcus granulosus.
This indication is based on combined clinical studies which demonstrated non-infectious cyst contents in approximately 80 to 90% of patients given ALBENZA for 3 cycles of therapy of 28 days each (see
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION). Clinical cure (disappearance of cysts) was seen in approximately 30% of these patients, and improvement (reduction in cyst diameter of ≥25%) was seen in an additional 40%.
NOTE: When medically feasible, surgery is considered the treatment of choice for hydatid disease. When administering ALBENZA in the pre- or post-surgical setting, optimal killing of cyst contents is achieved when 3 courses of therapy have been given.
NOTE: The efficacy of albendazole in the therapy of alveolar hydatid disease caused by Echinococcus multilocularis has not been clearly demonstrated in clinical studies.
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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Published Studies Related to Albenza (Albendazole)
Efficacy and safety of single and double doses of ivermectin versus 7-day high dose albendazole for chronic strongyloidiasis. [2011.05.10]
BACKGROUND: Strongyloidiasis, caused by an intestinal helminth Strongyloides stercoralis, is common throughout the tropics. It remains an important health problem due to autoinfection, which may result in hyperinfection and disseminated infection in immunosuppressed patients, especially patients receiving chemotherapy or corticosteroid treatment...
Albendazole-praziquantel interaction in healthy volunteers: kinetic disposition, metabolism and enantioselectivity. [2011.04]
AIM: This study investigated the kinetic disposition, metabolism and enantioselectivity of albendazole (ABZ) and praziquantel (PZQ) administered alone and in combination to healthy volunteers... CONCLUSIONS: The pharmacokinetic interaction between ABZ and PZQ in healthy volunteers was demonstrated by the observation of increased plasma concentrations of ASON, both ASOX enantiomers and (-)-(R)-PZQ. Clinically, the combination of ABZ and PZQ may improve the therapeutic efficacy as a consequence of higher concentration of both active drugs. On the other hand, the magnitude of this elevation may represent an increased risk of side effects, requiring, certainly, reduction of the dosage. However, further studies are necessary to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this combination. (c) 2011 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (c) 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.
A randomised controlled clinical trial on the safety of co-administration of albendazole, ivermectin and praziquantel in infected schoolchildren in Uganda. [2011.04]
Integrated chemotherapy of neglected tropical diseases (NTD) through mass drug administration given as a single dose would increase treatment coverage and cost-effectiveness...
Efficacy of single-dose and triple-dose albendazole and mebendazole against soil-transmitted helminths and Taenia spp.: a randomized controlled trial. [2011]
BACKGROUND: The control of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections currently relies on the large-scale administration of single-dose oral albendazole or mebendazole. However, these treatment regimens have limited efficacy against hookworm and Trichuris trichiura in terms of cure rates (CR), whereas fecal egg reduction rates (ERR) are generally high for all common STH species...
Albendazole and mebendazole administered alone or in combination with ivermectin against Trichuris trichiura: a randomized controlled trial. [2010.12.15]
BACKGROUND: Single-dose albendazole and mebendazole show limited efficacy in the treatment of trichuriasis. The combination of albendazole with ivermectin improves efficacy, but a mebendazole-ivermectin combination has not been previously investigated... CONCLUSIONS: Addition of ivermectin improves the therapeutic outcomes of both albendazole and mebendazole against T. trichiura and may be considered for use in soil-transmitted helminth control programs and individual patient management. TRIAL REGISTRATION: isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN08336605.
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Page last updated: 2011-12-09
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