Statistics
Total online: 1 Guests: 1 Users: 0
|
Blog
Main » 2010 » October » 29 » Eflornithine
|
Eflornithine (α-difluoromethylornithine or DFMO) is a drug found to be
effective in the treatment of facial hirsutism (excessive hair growth)
as well as in African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) . Eflornithine
hydrochloride cream, which is for topical administration in women
suffering from facial hirsutism, is marketed under the brand name Vaniqa
by Almirall in Europe, CSL in Australia, Triton in Canada, Medison in
Israel and SkinMedica in the USA.Eflornithine for injection against
sleeping sickness is manufactured by Sanofi Aventis and sold under the
brand name Ornidyl in the USA.Both are prescription drugs.
History
Eflornithine was initially developed for cancer treatment at Merrell
Dow Research Institute in the late 1970s, but, while having little use
in treating malignancies, it was found to be highly effective in
reducing hair growth , as well as in treatment of African
trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) , especially the West African form
(Trypanosoma brucei gambiense).
Hirsutism
In the 1980s, Gillette was awarded a patent for the discovery that
topical application of eflornithine HCl cream inhibits hair growth. In
the 1990s, Gillette conducted dose-ranging studies with eflornithine in
hirsute women that demonstrated that the drug slows the rate of facial
hair growth. Gillette then filed a patent for the formulation of
eflornithine cream. In July 2000, the FDA granted a U.S. NDA for Vaniqa.
The following year, the European Commission issued its Marketing
Authorisation. Today, Vaniqa is marketed by Almirall in Europe, CSL in
Australia, Triton in Canada, Medison in Israel and SkinMedica in the
USA.
Sleeping sickness treatment
The drug was registered for the treatment of gambiense sleeping
sickness in 1990.[6] However, in 1995 Aventis (now Sanofi-Aventis)
stopped producing the drug, whose main market was African countries,
because it didn't make a profit.
In 2001, Aventis (now Sanofi-Aventis) and the WHO formed a five-year
partnership, during which more than 320,000 vials of pentamidine, over
420,000 vials of melarsoprol, and over 200,000 bottles of eflornithine
were produced by Sanofi-Aventis, to be given to the WHO and distributed
by the association Médecins sans Frontières (also known as Doctors
Without Borders)in countries where the sleeping sickness is endemic.
According to Médecins sans Frontières, this only happened after
"years of international pressure", and coinciding with the period when
media attention was generated because of the launch of another
eflornithine-based product (Vaniqa, geared to prevention of facial-hair
in women),while its life-saving formulation (the one against sleeping
sickness) was not being produced.
From 2001 (when production was restarted) through 2006, 14 million
diagnoses were made. This greatly contributed to stemming the spread of
sleeping sickness, and to saving nearly 110,000 lives. This changed the
epidemiological profile of the disease, meaning that eliminating it
altogether can now be envisaged.
Cancer treatment
In 2008, UC Irvine researchers reported a study indicating that,
when combined with sulindac (an anti-inflammatory drug), DFMO
significantly reduces the risk of recurring colorectal polyps.
source:http://www.answers.com/topic/eflornithine-hydrochloride
|
|
Views: 9646 |
Added by: Aloamaralo
| Rating: 0.0/0 |
|
|