{"id":"melarsoprol","rwe":[],"tags":[{"label":"melarsoprol","category":"class"},{"label":"Small Molecule","category":"modality"},{"label":"P01CD01","category":"atc"},{"label":"Active","category":"status"},{"label":"African trypanosomiasis","category":"indication"},{"label":"Anti-Infective Agents","category":"pharmacology"},{"label":"Antiparasitic Agents","category":"pharmacology"},{"label":"Antiprotozoal Agents","category":"pharmacology"},{"label":"Trypanocidal Agents","category":"pharmacology"}],"phase":"phase_3","safety":{},"trials":[],"aliases":[],"patents":[],"pricing":[],"allNames":"arsobal","offLabel":[],"synonyms":["melarsoprol","arsobal","melarsen B","melarsaprol"],"timeline":[],"aiSummary":"Arsobal (Melarsoprol) is a melarsoprol-based small molecule drug developed by Rhône-Poulenc, currently owned by Sanofi. It is used to treat African trypanosomiasis, a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma brucei. The commercial status of Arsobal is not explicitly stated, but it is likely patented. Key safety considerations include potential neurotoxicity and allergic reactions. It is essential to monitor patients for these adverse effects.","approvals":[],"brandName":"Arsobal","ecosystem":[{"indication":"African trypanosomiasis","otherDrugs":[{"name":"eflornithine","slug":"eflornithine","company":""},{"name":"pentamidine","slug":"pentamidine","company":"Fresenius Kabi Usa"}],"globalPrevalence":400000}],"mechanism":{"modality":"Small Molecule","drugClass":"melarsoprol","explanation":"Imagine your body's cells are like factories that make new parts. The parasite's cells are like factories that make new copies of themselves. Arsobal stops the parasite's factories from making new parts, which eventually kills the parasite.","oneSentence":"Arsobal works by inhibiting the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase in the parasite, disrupting its ability to synthesize DNA and ultimately leading to its death.","technicalDetail":"Arsobal (Melarsoprol) acts as a competitive inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), an enzyme essential for the synthesis of tetrahydrofolate, a precursor to thymidylate and purines, thereby disrupting DNA synthesis and replication in the parasite."},"_wikipedia":{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melarsoprol","title":"Melarsoprol","extract":"Melarsoprol is an arsenic-containing medication used for the treatment of sleeping sickness. It is specifically used for second-stage disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense when the central nervous system is involved. For Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, eflornithine or fexinidazole is usually preferred. It is effective in about 95% of people. It is given by injection and is known by patients as \"fire in the veins\".","wiki_society_and_culture":"==Society and culture==\nMelarsoprol is produced by Sanofi and under an agreement with the WHO, it donates melarsoprol to countries where the disease is common.\n\nMelarsoprol was used to treat a patient with second-stage African trypanosomiasis on season 1 episode 7 \"Fidelity\" of the medical drama House MD."},"commercial":{},"references":[{"id":1,"url":"https://drugcentral.org/drugcard/3336","fields":["approvals","synonyms","ATC","PK","indications","contraindications","DDIs","targets","patents","FAERS"],"source":"DrugCentral"},{"id":2,"url":"https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?intr=MELARSOPROL","fields":["trials"],"source":"ClinicalTrials.gov"},{"id":3,"url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=MELARSOPROL","fields":["publications"],"source":"PubMed/NCBI"},{"id":4,"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melarsoprol","fields":["history","overview"],"source":"Wikipedia"}],"_enrichedAt":"2026-03-30T15:06:16.871903","biosimilars":[],"competitors":[],"genericName":"melarsoprol","indications":{"approved":[{"name":"African trypanosomiasis","source":"DrugCentral","snomedId":27031003,"regulator":"FDA","usPrevalence":null,"globalPrevalence":400000,"prevalenceMethod":"curated","prevalenceSource":"Parasitol Res., 2024 (PMID:39102014)"}],"offLabel":[],"pipeline":[]},"drugCategory":"active","labelChanges":[],"relatedDrugs":[],"trialDetails":[{"nctId":"NCT00330148","phase":"PHASE3","title":"Randomized Clinical Trial of Three Drug Combinations for Late-Stage Gambiense Human African Trypanosomiasis","status":"TERMINATED","sponsor":"Epicentre","startDate":"2001-03","conditions":["Trypanosomiasis, African"],"enrollment":435,"completionDate":"2004-06"}],"genericFilers":[],"latestUpdates":[],"manufacturing":[],"crossReferences":{"NDDF":"002964","UNII":"ZF3786Q2E8","CHEBI":"CHEBI:6729","INN_ID":"457","UMLSCUI":"C0025217","ChEMBL_ID":"CHEMBL166","KEGG_DRUG":"D00832","DRUGBANK_ID":"DB12864","PUBCHEM_CID":"10311","SNOMEDCT_US":"17990002","MESH_DESCRIPTOR_UI":"D008549"},"formularyStatus":[],"_enricherVersion":"v2","developmentCodes":[],"ownershipHistory":[],"publicationCount":371,"therapeuticAreas":["Other"],"atcClassification":{"source":"DrugCentral","atcCode":"P01CD01","allCodes":["P01CD01"]},"biosimilarFilings":[],"recentPublications":[],"companionDiagnostics":[],"genericManufacturerList":[],"status":"active","companyName":"","companyId":"","modality":"Small molecule","firstApprovalDate":"","enrichmentLevel":3,"visitCount":0,"trialStats":{"total":0,"withResults":0},"verificationStatus":"verified","dataCompleteness":{"mechanism":true,"indications":true,"safety":false,"trials":true,"score":3}}