by Espada CR, Levatti EVdC, Boité MC, Lamounier D, Alvar J, Cupolillo E, Costa CHN, Rode J, Uliana SRB. Microorganisms 2021; 9(6):1228. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9061228
Summary: New therapeutic tools are urgently needed in Brazil, where visceral leishmaniasis is treated with meglumine antimoniate. Cure rates for the oral drug miltefosine in a phase II clinical trial in Brazil were lower than previously demonstrated in India. This study investigated the susceptibility to miltefosine of 73 strains of Leishmania infantum from different regions of Brazil. No correlation was found between the susceptibility to miltefosine in vitro and the presence of the miltefosine sensitive locus. The susceptibility to miltefosine of the 73 strains was relatively homogenous, suggesting that Brazilian L. infantum does not have decreased susceptibility to miltefosine. Further clinical evaluation of miltefosine for treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil is advisable.
