ZENTEL ® Albendazole

ZENTEL ® is a drug based on Albendazole.

THERAPEUTIC GROUP: Pesticide

Indications ZENTEL ® Albendazole

ZENTEL ® is used in the clinical setting in the treatment of intestinal parasites caused by thermatodes, cestodes and nematodes and in the treatment of systemic helminth infestations such as those from Echinococcus granulosus.

Mechanism of action ZENTEL ® Albendazole

ZENTEL ® is a drug based on Albendazole, a benzimidazole anthelmintic, whose characteristic pharmacokinetic profile allows the active ingredient to perform both local (intestinal) and systemic antiparasitic action.
Taken orally, in fact, it can carry out its therapeutic action on site, inhibiting the assembly of tubulin and profoundly altering a series of important characteristics including the uptake capacity and use of glucose.
All this affects the metabolic activities of the parasite, which, once the reserves of ATP are exhausted, undergoes paralysis and subsequent death with the consequent intestinal elimination through the faeces.
The small amount of active ingredient absorbed in the intestine undergoes a first hepatic metabolism with the transformation to sulfoxide and with the consequent distribution at the systemic level, where it is effective in the treatment of Echinococcal cysts, concentrated above all at the hepatic level.
After a half-life of more than eight hours, Albendazole sulfoxide is eliminated mainly by the biliary route and minimally in the urine.

Studies carried out and clinical efficacy

THE ALBENDAZOLO IN THE CONTROL OF PARASITUSES
N Engl J Med. 2012 Apr 19; 366: 1498-507. doi: 10.1056 / NEJMoa1103360.

Albendazole therapy and enteric parasites in United States-bound refugees.

Swanson SJ, Phares CR, Mamo B, Smith KE, Cetron MS, Stauffer WM.

This work demonstrates how the preventive administration of Albendazole in emigrants from African and South East Asia can considerably limit the prevalence of intestinal nematode parasites.

THE USE OF ALBENDAZOLO IN HYPEREOSYOPHILIA
Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2012 May; 29: 354-7.

Albendazole therapy for coagulation abnormality in children with eosinophilia.

Xu LH, Fang JP, Zhang LN, Weng WJ, Huang K, Guo HX.

Interesting study that demonstrates how the administration of Albendazole at 15 mg / kg for ten days can significantly improve the clinical course characterized by petechiae and haemorrhages in patients with evident hypereosinophilia.

L "ALBENDAZOLO IN THE TREATMENT OF PARASITTOSIS BY ASCARIS LUMBRICOIDES
Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2012 Aug; 5: 605-9. doi: 10.1016 / S1995-764560125-4.

Current status of the efficacy and effectiveness of albendazole and mebendazole for the treatment of Ascaris lumbricoides in North-Western Indonesia.

Lubis IN, Pasaribu S, Lubis CP.

Work that reaffirms the persistent usefulness of Albendazole in the treatment of parasites caused by Ascaris Lumbricoides in the Indonesian population, even in the face of new marketed pesticides.

Method of use and dosage

ZENTEL ®
Albendazole 400 mg oral tablets.
Therapy with Albendazole should be defined by your doctor or by a doctor specialized in the treatment of parasites, based on the physio-pathological characteristics of the patient and the severity of the clinical picture present.
The dosages and duration of treatment therefore vary significantly from case to case, considering therapies that can last from a few days to several weeks.
If you want to enhance the systemic action of the drug it would be preferable to take ZENTEL ® with meals.

Warnings ZENTEL ® Albendazole

Treatment with Albendazole should be preceded by a careful medical examination aimed at evaluating all the potential risks of the therapy and especially the potential contraindications to the use of the active ingredient in certain risk categories.
It is useful to remember that unlike the treatment of intestinal infestations, mostly characterized by short-term therapeutic cycles, the therapy of systemic parasites, for which prolonged use of Albendazole becomes necessary over time, could induce a significant increase of the side effects of therapy.
The hepatic metabolism to which the drug is subjected requires the utmost caution in the use of ZENTEL ® in patients suffering from hepatic diseases.
It is recommended to store the drug in a cool and dry place and especially out of the reach of children.

PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING

The suspected teratogens and mutagens attributed to Albendazole inevitably extend the contraindications to the use of ZENTEL ® also to pregnancy and the subsequent period of breastfeeding.

Interactions

Different pharmacokinetic studies show how the pharmacokinetic characteristics of Albendazole can be compromised by the simultaneous intake of active ingredients with hepatic tropism such as cimetidine, praziquantel and dexamethasone.

Contraindications ZENTEL ® Albendazole

The use of ZENTEL ® is contraindicated in case of hypersensitivity to the active substance or to one of its excipients, during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Undesirable Effects - Side Effects

The use of ZENTEL ® especially when prolonged for a long time, as required in the course of systemic parasitosis, could expose the patient to clinically relevant adverse reactions such as:

• Gastrointestinal disorders with nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea;
• Neurological disorders such as headache and dizziness;
• Haematological changes with leukopenia, thrombycytopenia and rarely pancytopenia;
• Hypersensitivity reactions with dermatological and systemic repercussions.

Note

ZENTEL ® is a prescription drug.

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