Albendazole Brand Name– Albenza
What is Albendazole
Albendazole (methyl 5-(propylthio)-2-benzimidazolecarbamate) is an oral broad-spectrum anthelmintic antiparasitic agent of the benzimidazole class.
Albendazole is similar to mebendazole and thiabendazole, but is better tolerated. The systemic anthelmintic activity is attributed to albendazole sulfoxide, the primary active hepatic metabolite.
Albendazole is effective in eradicating infections caused by a variety of nematodes including Echinococcus granulosus (dog tapeworm), Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm), Taenia solium (pork tapeworm), Trichinella spiralis (pork worm), Trichuris trichiura (whipworm), Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm), Strongyloides stercoralis (threadworm), Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm), Ancylostoma duodenale (hookworm), and Necator americanus (hookworm).
Albendazole is currently the treatment of choice for treating hydatid cyst disease (larval stage E. granulosus infection), for which it is roughly 70% effective. In sheep-raising areas of Utah, Arizona, and Nevada, E. granulosus is considered to be endemic; however, annual infection rates are low and most human cases in the US occur in immigrants who were exposed in their countries of origin, or in US travelers visiting global endemic areas.
Albendazole is also very effective (> 80%) for cysticercosis secondary to T. solium; neurocysticercosis is rare in the US except in immigrants from endemic areas.
Albendazole is the only agent used for the treatment of ocular neurocysticercosis.
The drug has also shown considerable efficacy in treating microsporidiosis caused by Septata intestinalis. Albendazole was first marketed outside the US in 1982, and common trade names in other countries include Eskazole and Zentel.
In the US, albendazole tablets were FDA-approved for treating hydatid cyst disease and neurocysticercosis in June 1996; a chewable tablet formulation was FDA-approved for the same indications in June 2015
Indications
- Ancylostoma duodenale
- ascariasis
- Ascaris lumbricoides
- Capillaria philippinensis
- capillariasis
- cutaneous larva migrans
- cysticercosis
- Echinococcus granulosus
- Encephalitozoon intestinalis
- enterobiasis (pinworm infection)
- Enterobius vermicularis
- giardiasis
- hookworm infection
- hydatid cyst disease
- microsporidiosis
- microsporidiosis prophylaxis
- Microsporum sp.
- Necator americanus
- neurocysticercosis
- Strongyloides stercoralis
- strongyloidiasis
- Taenia saginata
- Taenia solium
- trichinosis
- trichostrongyliasis
- trichuriasis
- Trichuris trichiura
Side Effects
- abdominal pain
- agranulocytosis
- alopecia
- aplastic anemia
- asthenia
- blurred vision
- diarrhea
- dizziness
- drowsiness
- elevated hepatic enzymes
- erythema multiforme
- fever
- headache
- hepatic failure
- hepatitis
- increased intracranial pressure
- leukopenia
- nausea
- neutropenia
- pancytopenia
- rash
- renal failure (unspecified)
- rhabdomyolysis
- seizures
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome
- thrombocytopenia
- urticaria
- vertigo
- vomiting
Monitoring Parameters
- CBC with differential
- LFTs
- ophthalmologic exam
- pregnancy testing
- stool exam
Contraindications
- agranulocytosis
- anemia
- biliary obstruction
- biliary tract disease
- bone marrow suppression
- breast-feeding
- chemotherapy
- children
- contraception requirements
- driving or operating machinery
- hepatic disease
- hepatitis
- increased intracranial pressure
- infants
- leukopenia
- neonates
- neutropenia
- pregnancy
- pregnancy testing
- reproductive risk
- retinal cysticercosis
- seizures
Interactions
- Amitriptyline
- Amitriptyline; Chlordiazepoxide
- Atropine; Hyoscyamine; Phenobarbital; Scopolamine
- Belladonna Alkaloids; Ergotamine; Phenobarbital
- Carbamazepine
- Cimetidine
- Clomipramine
- Clozapine
- Desipramine
- Dexamethasone
- Doxepin
- Fluoxetine; Olanzapine
- food
- grapefruit juice
- Hydantoins
- Imipramine
- Mexiletine
- Nortriptyline
- Olanzapine
- Perphenazine; Amitriptyline
- Phenobarbital
- Praziquantel
- Protriptyline
- Ropinirole
- Tacrine
- Theophylline, Aminophylline
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Trimipramine
- Warfarin
