ABSTRACT
Nifurtimox is a nitrofuran derivative that was developed specifically for the treatment of American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) (Packachanian, 1957). It was shown to be the most active and least toxic of this group of agents in preclinical studies, and was evaluated in clinical trials in the 1960s and subsequently marketed for use in Chagas disease in Latin America in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although the use of nifurtimox for Chagas disease has decreased with the availability of benznidazole, a potentially more active and less toxic agent (see Chapter 192, Benznidazole), there has been a resurgence of interest in and use of nifurtimox for the treatment of second-stage human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. In addition, the drug is being evaluated as an investigational antineoplastic agent.
