Clinical and pharmacological profile of benznidazole for treatment of Chagas disease

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Chagas disease (CD) is one of the most neglected public health problems in the Americas, where <1% of the estimated 6 million people with the infection have been diagnosed and treated. The goal of treatment is to eliminate the parasite, decrease the probability of cardiomyopathy and other complications during the chronic stage of infection, and interrupt the cycle of disease transmission by preventing congenital infection. Currently, only benznidazole (BZN) and nifurtimox are recognized by the World Health Organization as effective drugs for treatment of CD. In this paper, we provide an overview of the clinical pharmacology of BZN.Areas covered: This review covers the historical background, chemistry, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, preclinical research, resistance, clinical research, toxicology, adverse effects, and current regulatory status of BZN.Expert commentary: Ongoing investigations aim to optimize BZN therapy by adjusting the current standard regimen or by combining B...