Paromomycin in the treatment of leishmaniasis

Background: The treatment options for leishmaniasis are limited. Most of the drugs available need parenteral administration, are toxic, require monitoring and have a prolonged treatment duration. All these factors increase the cost of the treatment. The development of resistance to pentavalent antimonials in patients with visceral leishmaniasis in North Bihar, India, has added another dimension to the problem. Objective: To summarise the pharmacological and clinical data on antileishmanial activity of paromomycin and discuss the impact this agent may have on present treatment regimens. Methods: A literature search on paromomycin and leishmaniasis was done on PubMed and through Google. Results: Paromomycin, with its excellent efficacy, low cost, shorter duration of administration and good safety profile, has the potential to be used as a first-line drug.