LF Treatments

A single annual dose of Mectizan alone has been found to effectively decrease the number of W. bancrofti microfilariae in the blood by 90% for one full year. A single annual dose of Mectizan co-administered with albendazole has been found to effectively reduce microfilaremia by 99% for one full year.

These two drugs in combination are recommended by the World Health Organization for use in countries where onchocerciasis and/or loiasis are co-endemic.

In 2008, 87.5 million treatments were approved by the Mectizan Donation Program for LF elimination in Africa in onchocerciasis co-endemic countries. More than 300 million treatments have been approved since the progarm started in 2000.