Activity of alpha-anilinobenzyl cyanides and 2-methoxycarbonylamino-1-phenylimidazoles, a new class of antifilarial agents.

The activity of α-anilinobenzyl cyanides (2a-f), 5-aryl-4,5-dihydro-2-methoxycarbonylamino-1-phenylimidazoles (5a-d) and 2-methoxycarbonylamino-1-phenyl-1,3-diazaspiro[4:5]dec-2-ene (5f) have been tested for their micro- and macrofilaricidal activity against Litomosoides carinii and Acanthocheilonema viteae in rodents. In this test α-anilinobenzyl cyanides (2a-b), 5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-2-methoxycarbonylamino-1-phenylimidazole (5b) and 2-methoxycarbonylamino-1-phenyl-1,3-diazaspiro[4:5]dec-2-ene (5f) were found to possess marked filaricidal activity at doses ranging from 3-100 mg/kg given parenterally or orally for 5 days.