The Single Dose Treatment of Enterobiasis with Stilbazium Iodide (Monopar)

Abstract

Stilbazium iodide (Monopar) was used in the treatment of enterobiasis. The drug was given orally in capsule form as a single dose. In the first group of 72 persons treated, 71 (98.6% ) were negative for pinworms in a follow-up series of seven tapes taken on 7 consecutive days, starting 1 week after the medication was administered. The dosage given was 10 mg/kg of body weight for 52 of these patients, and 15 mg/kg for the other 20. Seventeen (23.6%) experienced some side effects; six reporting nausea and 11 vomiting. In the second group, the drug was administered in enteric-coated capsules. The dosage of the 16 patients treated ranged from 7.4 to 15.5 mg/kg (average 11.7). All were negative on the follow-up tests, and none reported side effects. To test whether enteric-coated capsules reduced side effects, an additional 25 persons received the drug in this form in dosage levels ranging from 10 to 21 mg/kg of body weight (average 11.9). None of these reported side effects to the drug. A new series of pyridine derivatives showing a broad anthelmintic spectrum were reported by Phillips and Burrows (1961). One of these, stilbazium iodide' was tested against the mouse pinworm Syphacia obvelata by Burrows and Hunt (1962), with highly successful results, and against various nematodes of dogs and cats by Burrows and Lillis (1962). Human trials with this drug in the treatment of enterobiasis, ascariasis, trichuriasis, strongyloidiasis, and hookworm infections were done by Swartzwelder et al. (1962). Good results were obtained against all of these, except hookworm, and no reactions to the drug were noted. Hsieh et al. (1963) obtained a 93.9% cure rate for enterobiasis in 33 children treated with a single dose at a level of 6.2 to 7.2 mg/kg. Favorable results were noted in treating patients harboring Fasciolopsis buski, Ascaris, and Trichuris. The drug was relatively ineffective against Ancylostoma duodenale. For these worms the drug was administered for 3 days. Moderate side effects of vomiting occurred in some persons. Jeffery et al. (1963) reported on the successful single dose treatment of 30 cases of Received for publication 20 September 1963. 'The trade name of Burroughs Wellcome & Company for stilbazium iodide (B. W. 61-32) is Monopar. enterobiasis at a level of 10 mg/kg. Trichuris and Str ngyloides infections were treated for 3 days with fair results, but hookworm infections responded less favorably to the treat-