Abstract
Since many important antiparasitic drugs are not registered in Japan, a research group, for the past 7 years, has managed the use of non-registered orphan drugs. Initially there were 16 orphan drugs under control of the group, these were as follows; chloroquine, Fansidar, Fansimef, quinine (iv), primaquine, mebendazole, praziquantel, thiabendazole, quinacrine, dehydroemetine (iv), pentamidine, Pentostam, suramin, stibophen, nifurtimox and pyrimethamine. Of these drugs, Fansidar, thiabendazole, mebendazole and praziquantel were recently registered. The number of cases treated with these drugs was nearly one thousand (920). The number of malaria cases treated in this group was 201, corresponding to 22% of the total cases treated with orphan drugs. Mebendazole was used in 210 cases, praziquantel in 163, thiabendazole in 120, quinacrine in 125, pentamidine in 67, dehydroemetin in 28, Pentostam in 5 and suramin in 1. Most drugs were evaluated as effective in their antiparasitic actions but severe adverse reactions occurred at relatively high incidences.
