Diloxanide furoate

Absorption

Bioavailability is 90% (in diloxanide parental form), however diloxanide furoate is slowly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.

The Uses of Diloxanide furoate

selective agonist for delta-opioid receptor

The Uses of Diloxanide furoate

Antidiarrhoeals / Antiprotozoles

The Uses of Diloxanide furoate

Furamide is an ambecide, an anti-protozoal drug used in the treatment of amoebozoa infections.

Indications

Diloxanide is used alone as a primary agent in the treatment of asymptomatic (cyst passers) intestinal amebiasis caused by Entamoeba histolytica. Diloxanide may also be used concurrently, or sequentially, with other agents such as the nitroimidazoles (eg. metronidazole) in the treatment of invasive or extraintestinal forms of amebiasis.

Indications

Diloxanide furoate (Furamide) is an amebicide that is effective against trophozoites in the intestinal tract. In mild or asymptomatic infections, cures of 83 to 95% have been achieved; in patients with dysentery, cure rates may be less impressive. The drug is administered only orally and is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract following hydrolysis of the ester group. It is remarkably free of side effects, but occasionally flatulence, abdominal distention, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pruritus, and urticaria occur. Diloxanide is excreted in the urine, largely as the glucuronide. It is not available in the United States.

Definition

ChEBI: Diloxanide furoate is a carboxylic ester resulting from the formal condensation of the carboxy group of furan-2-carboxylic acid with the hydroxy group of 2,2-dichloro-N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-N-methylacetamide. It is a drug used for the treatment of asymptomatic amebiasis. It has a role as an antiamoebic agent and a prodrug. It is a member of furans, a carboxylic ester, a tertiary carboxamide and an organochlorine compound.

Pharmacokinetics

Diloxanide is a luminal amebicide, however the mechanism of action of diloxanide is unknown. Diloxanide destroys the trophozoites of E. histolytica that eventually form into cysts. The cysts are then excreted by persons infected with asymptomatic amebiasis. Diloxanide furoate is a prodrug, and is hydrolyzed in the gastrointestinal tract to produce diloxanide, the active ingredient.

Clinical Use

Diloxanide furoate (available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]) is prescribed for the treatment of asymptomatic amebiasis but is ineffective as a single agent for the extraintestinal form of the disease. The drug is administered orally and is hydrolyzed in the gut to give diloxanide, which is considered to be the active drug. Diloxanide is the only form identified in the bloodstream. The drug is found in the urine as the glucuronide.

Metabolism

Hydrolyzed to furoic acid and diloxanide, which undergoes extensive glucuronidation (99% of diloxanide occurs as glucuronide and 1% as free diloxanide in the systemic circulation).