Suramin
Suramin is sold under the brand names Germamin, Bayer 205, Fourneau 309, Moranyl, Naganin, and Naganine. The drug was created in 1916 by Oskar Dressel and Richard Kothe of Bayer, Germany and was originally used to cure African sleeping sickness and river blindness, both types of infections caused by helminths.
Suramin works by blocking various growth processes within the worms. Specifically, the drug blocks insulin growth, epidermal growth, and platelet-derived growth, which limits cell production and migration. When this happens, the worms become immobile and eventually die.
Suramin can be administered only in a hospital with nurse or doctor supervision and is given by one weekly intravenous injection of one gram for a total of six weeks. Maintaining a regular dosage and doctor visit it important when taking the drug so that a physician can monitor the progression of the cure as well as any side effects. Dosage will be different for each patient and will depend on the strength of the drug as well as body weight. Suramin is not available in the United States or Canada.
Suramin may have the potential to cause serious side effects, and it is always best for physicians to be made aware of a patient’s complete medical history. Nausea and vomiting occur as the most frequent side effects, but the majority of patients will also experience a rash that appears within the first few days of treatment. Some patients report feeling a crawling sensation in the skin when given the drug. Suramin may cause some symptoms that are essentially harmless, such as cloudy urine, but still arise panic in some patients. Extreme side effects, such as kidney damage, convulsions, and unusual bleeding or swelling, may occur, but are rare. Although Suramin has not been studied in pregnant women, it has caused birth defects in animals.