Trial of an enteric-coated preparation of lucanthone hydrochloride in Schistosoma mansoni infection

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Abstract
Standard 250 mg tablets of lucanthone hydrochloride were coated with cellulose acetate phthalate and given to 50 out-patients suffering from S. mansoni infections with pre-treatment egg loads of up to 75,000 per 24 hr. At the end of the 12 weeks, 16 patients were classed as "cured," but a mean overall reduction in egg output of 81.5% was obtained. The "cure" rates and mean percentage reduction in egg output obtaining at 12 weeks were maintained during a 26-week follow-up. The recorded side effects were few compared with those encountered with the ordinary tablet (24% vs. 90%) and were minimal, nausea being the commonest. There were no cases of vomiting although this occurred in 41% with the uncoated, standard tablet in an earlier series. The drug had a low incidence of side effects, was widely accepted by the patients, and was efficient enough for use within a schistosomiasis control program.

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