<!-- Definition and medical uses -->
Triclabendazole, sold under the brand name Egaten among others, is a medication used to treat fascioliasis and paragonimiasis.
<!-- Side effects and mechanism -->
Side effects are generally few, but can include abdominal pain and headaches. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. For human use, it can be obtained from the World Health Organization. It is also used in animals.
Chemistry
It is a member of the benzimidazole family of anthelminthics. The benzimidazole drugs share a common molecular structure, triclabendazole being the exception in having a chlorinated benzene ring but no carbamate group. Benzimidazoles such as triclabendazole are generally accepted to bind to beta-tubulin therefore preventing the polymerization of microtubules.
History
Since the late 1990s, triclabendazole has been available as a generic drug, as patents expired in many countries. Many products were developed then. Among them, Trivantel 15, a 15% triclabendazole suspension, was launched by Agrovet Market Animal Health in the early 2000s. In 2009, the first triclabendazole injectable solution (combined with ivermectin) was developed and launched, also by Agrovet Market Animal Health. The product, Fasiject Plus, a triclabendazole 36% and ivermectin 0.6% solution, is designed to treat infections by Fasciola hepatica (both immature and adult liver flukes), roundworms and ectoparasites, as well.
Fasinex is a brand name for veterinary use, while Egaten is a brand name for human use.