Praziquantel

Praziquantel ( CAS: 55268-74-1)

Praziquantel (Biltricide) is an anthelmintic effective against flatworms. Praziquantel is not licensed for use in humans in theUK; it is, however, available as a veterinary anthelmintic, and is available for use in humans on a named-patient basis.

It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, a list of the most important medications needed in a basic health system.

Medical uses

Praziquantel is used to treat diseases in humans, mammals, and fish that are caused by infection with several types of internal/gastrointestinal, and external parasites including the following:

• Salmon poisoning disease

• Hydatid disease caused by infection of various organs with larval stages of tapeworms of the genus Echinococcus

• Cysticercosis caused by infection of the brain and/or muscles with the eggs and larvae of the pork tapeworm Taenia solium (though it has been judged less effective than albendazole in treatment of neurocysticercosis)

• Feline taeniasis caused in cats by gastrointestinal infection with adult tapeworms of the species Taenia taeniaeformis; used either alone or in combination with pyrantel pamoate

• Toxocariasis in cats and dogs whose gut is infected with the roundworms/nematodes Toxocara cati or Toxocara canis respectively; use is often combined with pyrantel

• Schistosomiasis caused by trematodes of the genus Schistosoma. As of 2005, praziquantel is the primary treatment for human schistosomiasis, for which it is usually effective in a single dose.

• Clonorchiasis brought on by the Chinese liver fluke Clonorchis sinensis

• Paragonimiasis caused by infection with lung flukes, mostly of the species Paragonimus westermani.

• Fasciolopsiasis caused by intestinal fluke Fasciolopsis buski.

• Diplozoon paradoxum and other Trematoda infections of many fish species.