Albendazole (albendazole)

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Albendazole film-coated tablets are administered orally with food.

Oral bioavailability of albendazole appears to be increased when the drug is administered with a fatty meal. When the drug is administered with a fatty meal containing about 40 g of fat, plasma concentrations of albendazole sulfoxide (active metabolite of albendazole) are up to 5 times higher than those observed when the drug is administered to fasting patients.

In patients who have difficulty swallowing tablets whole (particularly children), albendazole tablets may be crushed or chewed and swallowed with a drink of water.

Albendazole induces cytochrome P-450 (CYP) isoenzyme 1A in human hepatoma cells.

There are no contraindication interactions for this drug.

There are no severe interactions for this drug.

There are no moderate interactions for this drug.

Albendazole is contraindicated in patients hypersensitive to benzimidazole derivatives or any component in the formulation.

There are no contraindication contraindications for this drug.

• Aplastic anemia
• Disease of liver
• Neutropenic disorder
• Pancytopenia
• Pregnancy

• Anemia

Treatment of neurocysticercosis: Adverse effects reported in 1% or more of patients include headache, nausea, vomiting, increased intracranial pressure, and meningeal signs.

Treatment of hydatid disease: Adverse effects reported in 1% or more of patients include elevated hepatic enzymes, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, reversible alopecia, fever, headache, dizziness, and vertigo.

Less Frequent

• Abnormal hepatic function tests

Rare or Very Rare

• Acute hepatic failure
• Acute renal failure
• Agranulocytosis
• Bone marrow depression
• Erythema multiforme
• Granulocytopenic disorder
• Hepatitis
• Intracranial hypertension
• Pancytopenia
• Rhabdomyolysis
• Seizure disorder
• Stevens-johnson syndrome
• Thrombocytopenic disorder
• Urticaria

More Frequent

• Acute abdominal pain
• Alopecia
• Dizziness
• Headache disorder
• Nausea

Less Frequent

• Vertigo
• Vomiting

Rare or Very Rare

• Aplastic anemia
• Blurred vision
• Diarrhea
• Drowsy
• Drug fever
• General weakness
• Neutropenic disorder
• Skin rash

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Efficacy of albendazole for the treatment of neurocysticercosis in pediatric patients appears to be similar to that in adults. Hydatid disease is uncommon in infants and young children.

Albendazole pharmacokinetics in pediatric patients 6-13 years of age are similar to pharmacokinetics in adults.

Albendazole may cause harm to the fetus. The drug should be used during pregnancy only if potential benefits justify the risks to the fetus and only when no alternative management is appropriate.

Albendazole should be initiated in women of childbearing age only after a negative pregnancy test. Women of childbearing potential should be advised to use effective contraceptive measures during albendazole treatment and for 1 month after treatment with the drug is discontinued. If a patient becomes pregnant while receiving albendazole, the drug should be immediately discontinued and the woman should be apprised of the potential hazard to the fetus.

Teratogenic effects (embryotoxicity, skeletal malformations) have been reported in rats and rabbits. In rats, albendazole was teratogenic at oral dosages of 10 and 30 mg/kg daily (approximately 0.1 and 0.3 times the recommended human dosage, respectively) given during gestation days 6-15. In rabbits, teratogenic effects were reported at oral dosages of 30 mg/kg daily (0.6 times the recommended human dosage) given during gestation days 7-19. Maternal toxicity (33% mortality) was reported in rabbits receiving an albendazole dosage of 30 mg/kg daily.

Albendazole is distributed into milk in animals; distribution into human milk also has been reported.

Albendazole should be used with caution in nursing women.

Data are insufficient to determine whether safety and efficacy of albendazole for the treatment of neurocysticercosis or hydatid disease in patients 65 years of age and older differ from that in younger patients.

Albendazole pharmacokinetics in geriatric patients have not been fully evaluated, but data from adults up to 79 years of age with hydatid cysts suggest that pharmacokinetics in these patients are similar to that in younger patients.