Controlled trial and dose-finding study of ivermectin for treatment of onchocerciasis.
Ivermectin, given as a single oral dose, has shown considerable promise as a new treatment for onchocerciasis. We assessed the safety and efficacy of ivermectin and tried to determine the optimal dose. Two hundred Liberians received 100, 150, or 200 micrograms of ivermectin/kg or placebo and were followed up for 12 months. Therapy was associated with only minimal systemic and ocular side effects. A 200-micrograms/kg dose was associated with greater systemic reaction than was a 100-micrograms/kg dose. Each treatment group had significant reduction in skin microfilaria counts by day 3 and a decrease of approximately 95% at three months. At three months the proportion of persons with no microfilariae in a specimen of skin was significantly less in the 100-micrograms/kg group than in the 150-micrograms/kg or 200-micrograms/kg groups. At 12 months, the level of microfilariae in skin was still reduced approximately 80%. Significant reduction in ocular involvement was seen in all groups. These results confirm that single-dose ivermectin is effective and well-tolerated and suggest that 150 micrograms of ivermectin/kg may be the optimal dose for initial therapy.
White
A T
AT
Newland
H S
HS
Taylor
H R
HR
Erttmann
K D
KD
Keyvan-Larijani
E
E
Nara
A
A
Aziz
M A
MA
D'Anna
S A
SA
Williams
P N
PN
Greene
B M
BM
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009854:Onchocerca / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology; D014785:Vision, Ocular
D007559:Ivermectin