Lack of efficacy of mefloquine in the treatment of new world cutaneous leishmaniasis in Colombia

ABSTRACT: In a nonblinded, therapeutic trial conducted in Colombia, 1.25–1.5 grams of mefloquine base given as a single oral dose or as 250 mg a day for 5–6 consecutive days was not efficacious in the treatment of New World cutaneous leishmaniasis. The drug had cured only 30.8% of patients with leis...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Authors: Muñoz Herrera, Diana Lorena, Puerta Álvarez, Juan Alberto, Vélez Bernal, Iván Darío, Hendrickx, Erik Paul
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:1998
Country:Colombia
Institution:Universidad de Antioquia
Repository:Repositorio UdeA
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:bibliotecadigital.udea.edu.co:10495/32064
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10495/32064
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Antimaláricos
Antimalarials
Leishmaniasis Cutánea
Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous
Mefloquina
Mefloquine
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT: In a nonblinded, therapeutic trial conducted in Colombia, 1.25–1.5 grams of mefloquine base given as a single oral dose or as 250 mg a day for 5–6 consecutive days was not efficacious in the treatment of New World cutaneous leishmaniasis. The drug had cured only 30.8% of patients with leishmaniasis skin lesions by the 10th week after start of therapy as compared with a 27.9% complete cicatrization rate in historical controls treated with placebo tablets and an 86.3% cicatrization rate in historical controls who received meglumine antimoniate, 20 mg/ kg/day intramuscularly for 20 days, with no upper limit to daily dose. It is concluded that a single course treatment with mefloquine is not indicated as monotherapy in the treatment of Colombian cutaneous leishmaniasis primarily due to L. panamensis.