Ivermectin: effectiveness in lymphatic filariasis

Abstract

This detailed review of the published studies underlying ivermectin's recent registration for use in lymphatic filariasis (LF) demonstrates the drug's single-dose efficacy (over the range of 20–400μg/kg) in clearing microfilaraemia associated with both Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi infections of humans. While doses as low as 20μg/kg could effect transient microfilarial (mf) clearance, higher dosages induced greater and more sustained mf reduction. The single dose of 400μg/kg yielded maximal responses, but a number of practical considerations suggest that either 400μg/kg or 200μg/kg doses would be acceptable for use in LF control programmes. Associated safety assessments indicate that adverse events, which occur commonly following treatment of microfilaraemic individuals, develop not because of drug toxicity but because of host inflammatory responses to dying microfilariae killed by the ivermectin treatment. Ivermectin is, therefore, a highly effective and generally well tolerated microfilaricide that may soon become an essential component of many public health initiatives to interrupt transmission of lymphatic filarial infection in an effort to eliminate LF globally.