Albendazole
Therapeutic Indications
Albendazole is indicated for:
Neurocysticercosis (NCC)
Irrespective of gender only Children (1 year - 12 years old) , Adolescents (12 years - 18 years old)
Αlbendazole is effective in the treatment of neurocysticercosis (NCC) in courses as short as 7 days.
For this indication, the medical literature mentions below treatments (click for details):
Treatment 1: Oral - 15mg/kg/day given in 2 divided doses
Echinococcosis
Irrespective of gender only Children (1 year - 12 years old) , Adolescents (12 years - 18 years old)
The long term use of albendazole is indicated for the treatment of hydatid cysts caused by E. granulosus in adults and children over 6 years of age, where surgical intervention is not feasible because of anatomic site or the presence of multiple cysts. Albendazole shows greatest efficacy in the treatment of liver, lung and peritoneal cysts. Experience with bone cysts or those in the heart or central nervous system is limited, but cases of successful treatment with a prolonged course of albendazole have been reported.
Albendazole may also be used as an adjunct to surgical excision of hydatid cysts either:
- prior to surgical intervention, or
- post-operatively, if pre-operative treatment was too short (less than two separate 28-day cycles) or if viable cysts are found at surgery.
For this indication, the medical literature mentions below treatments (click for details):
Treatment 1: Oral - 15mg/kg/day in divided doses
Neurocysticercosis (NCC)
Irrespective of gender only Adults (18 - 65 years old)
Αlbendazole is effective in the treatment of neurocysticercosis (NCC) in courses as short as 7 days.
For this indication, the medical literature mentions below treatments (click for details):
Treatment 1: Oral - 800mg daily, taken in two divided does (400 mg twice daily)
Treatment 2: Oral - 15mg/kg/day given in 2 divided doses
Capillaria philippinensis
Irrespective of gender only Adults (18 - 65 years old)
Αlbendazole is effective against Capillaria philippinensis in courses of 10 days.
For this indication, the medical literature mentions below treatments (click for details):
Treatment 1: Oral - 400 mg daily
Echinococcosis
Irrespective of gender only Adults (18 years old or older)
The long term use of albendazole is indicated for the treatment of hydatid cysts caused by E. granulosus in adults and children over 6 years of age, where surgical intervention is not feasible because of anatomic site or the presence of multiple cysts.
Albendazole shows greatest efficacy in the treatment of liver, lung and peritoneal cysts. Experience with bone cysts or those in the heart or central nervous system is limited, but cases of successful treatment with a prolonged course of albendazole have been reported.
Albendazole may also be used as an adjunct to surgical excision of hydatid cysts either:
- prior to surgical intervention, or
- post-operatively, if pre-operative treatment was too short (less than two separate
28-day cycles) or if viable cysts are found at surgery.
For this indication, the medical literature mentions below treatments (click for details):
Treatment 1: Oral - 15mg/kg/day in divided doses
Treatment 2: Oral - 800 mg, given in divided doses of 400 mg twice daily
Ascariasis, filariasis
Irrespective of gender only Adolescents (12 years - 18 years old) , Adults (18 - 65 years old)
Αlbendazole is effective against ascariasis, filariasis.
For this indication, the medical literature mentions below treatments (click for details):
Treatment 1: Oral - 400 mg daily
Trichuriasis
Irrespective of gender only Adolescents (12 years - 18 years old) , Adults (18 - 65 years old)
Αlbendazole is effective against Trichuriasis.
For this indication, the medical literature mentions below treatments (click for details):
Treatment 1: Oral - 400 mg daily
Contraindications
Active ingredient Albendazole is contraindicated in the following cases:
Breast feeding
No gender/age discrimination
It is not known if albendazole or its metabolites are secreted in human breast milk. Therefore breast feeding should be discontinued during and for at least one month after treatment.
Pregnancy
No gender/age discrimination
Albendazole is contraindicated during pregnancy, and for one month prior to conception. In order to avoid administering albendazole during early pregnancy, women of child bearing age should initiate treatment only after a negative pregnancy test. These tests should be repeated before initiating the next cycle.
The use of albendazole in human pregnancy has not been studied, but in animal studies it is teratogenic in more than one species. In animal studies oral treatment with maternotoxic doses of albendazole (30mg/kg/day) during the period of organogenesis was associated with multiple malformations in rats and ectrodactyly in rabbits. In one study in rats, an oral dose (10mg/kg/day) similar to the human therapeutic dose was not maternotoxic, but was associated with microphthalmia and microfetalis. The latter occurred alone and together with multiple malformations including cranioschisis, talipes and renal agenesis. There is no information on the possible effects of albendazole on the human foetus.