Novel parasite therapy

Abstract

There is disclosed herein a composition for treating extracellular parasitic infections, the composition comprising one or more of the following combinations: at least one quinolone or fluoroquinolone together with at least one tetracycline, iodoquinol, an azole or imidazole; or at least two agents selected from the group consisting of iodoquinol, thiazolidones, tetracycline, nitroimidazoles, cotrimoxazole and diloxanide furoate. There is also disclosed herein a method for treating extracellular parasitic infections in a vertebrate in need of said treatment, wherein said treatment comprises administering to said vertebrate a therapeutically effective amount of (i) a composition comprising a quinolone or fluoroquinolone together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or (ii) a composition of the invention or (iii) a combination of at least one quinolone or fluoroquinolone optionally together with at least one tetracycline, iodoquinol, an azole or imidazole; or (iv) a combination of at least two agents selected from the group consisting of iodoquinol, thiazolidones, tetracycline, nitroimidazoles, cotrimoxazole and diloxanide furoate.

1 . A composition for treating extracellular parasitic infections, the composition comprising one or more of the following combinations:
 at least one quinolone or fluoroquinolone together with at least one tetracycline, iodoquinol, an azole or imidazole; or   at least two agents selected from the group consisting of iodoquinol, thiazolidones, tetracycline, nitroimidazoles, cotrimoxazole and diloxanide furoate.   
     
     
         2 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein the quinolone or fluoroquinolone is one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of cinoxacin, flumequine, oxolinic acid, piromidic acid, ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, fleroxacin, lomefloxacin, nadifloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, pefloxacin, rufloxacin, balofloxacin, grepafloxacin, levofloxacin, pazufloxacin mesilate, sparfloxacin, temafloxacin, tosufloxacin, clinafloxacin, gemifloxacin, moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, sitafloxacin, trovafloxacin, ecinofloxacin, and prulifloxacin. 
     
     
         3 . The composition according to  claim 1  or  2  wherein the tetracycline is tetracycline, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, demeclocycline, doxycycline, lymecycline, meclocycline, minocycline, methacycline, rolitetracycline and penimepicycline. 
     
     
         4 . The composition according to  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  wherein the azole or imidazole is selected from ketoconazole, fluconazole, miconazole, clotrimazole, tioconazole, sulconazole, econazole, itraconazole and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The composition according to any one of  claims 1  to  4  further comprising an additional anti-parasitic drug. 
     
     
         6 . The composition according to  claim 5  wherein the anti-parasitic drug is selected from emetine, quinacrine, satranidazole, flunidazole, ronidazole and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of any one of  claims 1  to  6  wherein the thiazolidone is selected from the group consisting of nitazoxanide, denitrozoxanide, tizoxanide and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of any one of  claims 1  to  7  wherein the nitroimidazole is selected from metronidazole, etronidazole, secnidazole, tinidazole, ornidazole, furazolidone and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The composition according to any one of  claims 1  to  8  including combinations of three or four different agents. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1  including the combination norfloxacin and ketoconazole. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1  including the combination nitazoxanide, furzolidone and secnidazole. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1  including the combination iodoquinol, furazolidone and nitazoxanide. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1  including the combination diloxanide furoate, doxycycline and metronidazole. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1  including the combination secnidazole, diloxanide furoate and cotrimoxazole. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1  including the combination metronidazole, nitazoxanide and furazolidone. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1  including the combination cotrimoxazole, diloxanide furoate, secnidazole and doxycycline. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 1  including the combination nitazoxanide, furazolidone, secnidazole and doxycycline. 
     
     
         18 . The composition according to  claim 1  wherein the composition includes two agents selected from iodoquinol and doxycycline, nitazoxanide and doxycycline, nitazoxanide and secnidazole, furazolidone and secnidazole, furazolidone and nitazoxanide, doxycycline and secnidazole and doxycycline and furazolidone and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         19 . A method for treating extracellular parasitic infections in a vertebrate in need of said treatment, wherein said treatment comprises administering to said vertebrate a therapeutically effective amount of (i) a composition comprising a quinolone or fluoroquinolone together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or (ii) a composition of any one of  claims 1  to  18 , or (iii) a combination of at least one quinolone or fluoroquinolone optionally together with at least one tetracycline, iodoquinol, an azole or imidazole; or (iv) a combination of at least two agents selected from the group consisting of iodoquinol, thiazolidones, tetracycline, nitroimidazoles, cotrimoxazole and diloxanide furoate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the extracellular parasite is  Blastocystis hominis, Dientamoeba fragilis  or both. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  or  20  including administering a dosage of at least one milligram to five grams per day. 
     
     
         22 . The method of any one of  claims 19  to  20  wherein the quinolone or fluoroquinolone is norfloxacin. 
     
     
         23 . Use of at least one quinolone or fluoroquinolone optionally together with at least one tetracycline, iodoquinol, an azole or imidazole; or
 at least two agents selected from the group consisting of iodoquinol, thiazolidones, tetracycline, nitroimidazoles, cotrimoxazole and diloxanide furoate for the manufacture of a medicament for treating extracellular parasitic infections.