2. Academic Validation
  3. Clofazimine: an old drug for never-ending diseases

Clofazimine: an old drug for never-ending diseases

  • Future Microbiol. 2020 May:15:557-566. doi: 10.2217/fmb-2019-0231.
Niccolò Riccardi 1 2,  Andrea Giacomelli 2 3 4,  Diana Canetti 2 5 6,  Agnese Comelli 7,  Enrica Intini 2 8,  Giovanni Gaiera 6,  Mama M Diaw 2 9,  Zarir Udwadia 10,  Giorgio Besozzi 2,  Luigi Codecasa 2 11,  Antonio Di Biagio 2 12
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases & Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy.
  • 2 StopTB Italia Onlus, Milan, Italy.
  • 3 III Infectious Diseases Unit, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Milano, Italy.
  • 4 Department of Biomedical & Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
  • 5 Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
  • 6 Clinic of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
  • 7 Department of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy.
  • 8 Division of Respiratory Medicine, A. Gemelli University Hospital, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
  • 9 Médecin coordonnateur lutte contre la TB, Région médicale de Thiès, Thiès, Sénégal.
  • 10 Department of Pulmonary Medicine, PD. Hinduja National Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
  • 11 Regional TB Reference Centre & Laboratory, Villa Marelli Institute/ASST Niguarda Ca' Granda, Milan, Italy.
  • 12 Clinic of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST, Genoa, Italy.
PMID: 32476494 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2019-0231
Abstract

Clofazimine (CFZ), an old hydrophobic riminophenazine, has a wide range of antimycobacterial activity ranging from leprosy to nontuberculous mycobacterial diseases. CFZ has several advantages such as a favorable pharmacokinetic profile, dose-dependent side effects as well as low price. In this narrative review, we have assessed the clinical development of CFZ, starting from the potential in vitro mechanism of actions, to the spectrum of side effects and potential drug-drug interactions, highlighting its current place in therapy and future possible use in leprosy, nontuberculous mycobacterial diseases and drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Keywords

MDR-TB; NTM; XDR-TB; clofazimine; leprosy.

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