Melarsoprol

Melarsoprol

File:Melarsoprol.png
File:Melarsoprol-3D-vdW.png
Clinical data
Pregnancy category	?
Routes of administration	IV
ATC code	P01CD01 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	?
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	?
Metabolism	?
Elimination half-life	35 hours
Excretion	Renal
Identifiers
IUPAC name (2-(4-(4,6-diamino-1,3,5-triazin-2-ylamino)phenyl)- 1,3,2-dithiarsolan-4-yl)methanol
CAS Number	494-79-1
PubChem CID	10311
E number	{{#property:P628}}
ECHA InfoCard	{{#property:P2566}}
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C12H15AsN6S2
Molar mass	398.341 g/mol

Melarsoprol (INN) is a medicinal drug used in the treatment of Human African trypanosomiasis. It is also sold under the trade names “Mel B” and “Melarsen Oxide-BAL.”

Melarsoprol is also used in the treatment of Chagas disease, a New World trypanosomiasis discovered by the Brazilian doctor Carlos Chagas in 1909.

Side effects

Being a toxic organic compound of arsenic, Melarsoprol is a highly dangerous treatment which is only administered by injection under the supervision of a physician.

It is known to cause a range of side effects including convulsions, fever, loss of consciousness, rashes, bloody stools, nausea, and vomiting. It is fatal in and of itself in a significant fraction of cases.

Alternatives

Eflornithine is a more modern and far less dangerous treatment for sleeping sickness, but is expensive, not widely available on the market, and most of its supply comes from donations from its manufacturer.