Benznidazole 100mg tablets

BACKGROUND: Approximately 6 million people worldwide are affected by Chagas disease, with many in the chronic phase of the disease (CCD). It is crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of benznidazole for CCD treatment. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We updated a meta-analysis published in 2009 up to February 2021, including controlled trials (RCT) and prospective observational studies (OBS) that compared benznidazole vs placebo/no-treatment (P/nT). Main outcomes evaluated were clinical progression (CP) and seroreversion with subgroup analysis performed according to study design and participants' age. Parasitological response and safety were also described. We identified 879 articles and selected nine for inclusion (corresponding to eight studies). After adding the nine articles from the previous meta-analysis, 17 studies were analyzed corresponding to 6640 patients. The odds ratio (OR) for seroreversion in children treated with benznidazole vs P/nT was 38.3 (95%CI: 10.7-137) and 34.9 (95%CI: 1.96-624.09) in RCT and OBS, respectively. In adults the OR for seroreversion in OBS was 17.1 (95%CI: 2.3-129.1). CP was only evaluated in adults, where benznidazole did not demonstrate a beneficial effect: OR 0.93 (95%CI: 0.8-1.1) and OR 0.49 (95%CI:0.2-1.2) for RCT and OBS, respectively. Most outcomes were deemed to have a low level of certainty, except for the beneficial effect in children and the low efficacy in adults (moderate certainty). CONCLUSIONS: Benznidazole should be recommended for CCD in children, though this is only based on serological response and a moderate grade of evidence, while in adults benznidazole efficacy remains uncertain. More data on clinical efficacy of benznidazole in CCD is needed in both children and adults.

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BACKGROUND: Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease endemic to Latin America caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, currently affects 6-7 million people and is responsible for 12,500 deaths each year. No vaccine exists at present and the only two drugs currently approved for the treatment (benznidazole and nifurtimox), possess serious limitations, including long treatment regimes, undesirable side effects, and frequent clinical failures. A link between parasite genetic variability and drug sensibility/efficacy has been suggested, but remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated associations between T. cruzi genetic variability and in vitro benznidazole susceptibility via a systematic article review and meta-analysis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In vitro normalized benznidazole susceptibility indices (LC50 and IC50) for epimastigote, trypomastigote and amastigote stages of different T. cruzi strains were recorded from articles in the scientific literature. A total of 60 articles, which include 189 assays, met the selection criteria for the meta-analysis. Mean values for each discrete typing unit (DTU) were estimated using the meta and metaphor packages through R software, and presented in a rainforest plot. Subsequently, a meta-regression analysis was performed to determine differences between estimated mean values by DTU/parasite stage/drug incubation times. For each parasite stage, some DTU mean values were significantly different, e.g. at 24h of drug incubation, a lower sensitivity to benznidazole of TcI vs. TcII trypomastigotes was noteworthy. Nevertheless, funnel plots detected high heterogeneity of the data within each DTU and even for a single strain. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Several limitations of the study prevent assigning DTUs to different in vitro benznidazole sensitivity groups; however, ignoring the parasite's genetic variability during drug development and evaluation would not be advisable. Our findings highlight the need for establishment of uniform experimental conditions as well as a screening of different DTUs during the optimization of new drug candidates for Chagas disease treatment.

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Abstract Objectives To determine the comparative efficacy and safety of a fixed dose of benznidazole (BZN) with an adjusted‐dose for Trypanosoma cruzi ‐seropositive adults without cardiomyopathy. Methods We conducted a systematic review and individual participant data (IPD) meta‐analysis following Cochrane methods, and the PRISMA‐IPD statement for reporting. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) allocating participants to fixed or adjusted doses of BZN for T. cruzi ‐seropositive adults without cardiomyopathy were included. We searched (December 2021) Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS and trial registries and contacted Chagas experts. Selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment using the Cochrane tool, and a GRADE summary of finding tables were performed independently by pairs of reviewers. We conducted a random‐effects IPD meta‐analysis using the one‐stage strategy, or, if that was impossible, the two‐stage strategy. Results Five RCTs (1198 patients) were included, none directly comparing fixed with adjusted doses of BZN. Compared to placebo, BZN therapy was strongly associated with negative qPCR and sustainable parasitological clearance regardless of the type of dose and subgroup analysed. For negative qPCR, the fixed/adjusted rate of odds ratios (ROR F/A ) was 8.83 (95% CI 1.02–76.48); for sustained parasitological clearance, it was 4.60 (95% CI 0.40–52.51), probably indicating at least non‐inferior effect of fixed doses, with no statistically significant interactions by scheme for global and most subgroup estimations. The ROR F/A for treatment interruption due to adverse events was 0.44 (95% CI 0.14–1.38), probably indicating no worse tolerance of fixed doses. Conclusions We found no direct comparison between fixed and adjusted doses of BZN. However, fixed doses versus placebo are probably not inferior to weight‐adjusted doses of BZN versus placebo in terms of parasitological efficacy and safety. Network IPD meta‐analysis, through indirect comparisons, may well provide the best possible answers in the near future. Registration The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42019120905).

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-SA

Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Benznidazole and nifurtimox are the two approved drugs for their treatment, but both drugs present side effects and efficacy problems, especially in the chronic phase of this disease. Therefore, new molecules have been tested with promising results aiming for strategic targeting action against T. cruzi. Several studies involve in vitro screening, but a considerable number of in vivo studies describe drug bioavailability increment, drug stability, toxicity assessment, and mainly the efficacy of new drugs and formulations. In this context, new drug delivery systems, such as nanotechnology systems, have been developed for these purposes. Some nanocarriers are able to interact with the immune system of the vertebrate host, modulating the immune response to the elimination of pathogenic microorganisms. In this overview of nanotechnology-based delivery strategies for established and new antichagasic agents, different strategies, and limitations of a wide class of nanocarriers are explored, as new perspectives in the treatment and monitoring of Chagas disease.

Abstract licence: CC BY