Uses
Antidiarrhoeals / Antiprotozoles
Uses
Furamide is an ambecide, an anti-protozoal drug used in the treatment of amoebozoa infections.
Uses
selective agonist for delta-opioid receptor
Definition
ChEBI: Diloxanide furoate is a carboxylic ester resulting from the formal condensation of the carboxy group of furan-2-carboxylic acid with the hydroxy group of 2,2-dichloro-N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-N-methylacetamide. It is a drug used for the treatment of asymptomatic amebiasis. It has a role as an antiamoebic agent and a prodrug. It is a member of furans, a carboxylic ester, a tertiary carboxamide and an organochlorine compound.
Indications
Diloxanide furoate (Furamide) is an amebicide that is
effective against trophozoites in the intestinal tract. In
mild or asymptomatic infections, cures of 83 to 95%
have been achieved; in patients with dysentery, cure
rates may be less impressive. The drug is administered
only orally and is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal
tract following hydrolysis of the ester group. It
is remarkably free of side effects, but occasionally flatulence,
abdominal distention, anorexia, nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea, pruritus, and urticaria occur. Diloxanide is excreted
in the urine, largely as the glucuronide. It is not
available in the United States.
Clinical Use
Diloxanide furoate (available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]) is
prescribed for the treatment of asymptomatic amebiasis but is ineffective as a single agent for the
extraintestinal form of the disease. The drug is
administered orally and is hydrolyzed in the gut to give diloxanide, which is considered to be the
active drug. Diloxanide is the only form identified in the bloodstream. The drug is found in the
urine as the glucuronide.
