Drug quality analysis of isometamidium chloride hydrochloride and diminazene diaceturate used for the treatment of African animal trypanosomosis in West Africa.

BACKGROUND: Diminazene diaceturate (DA) and isometamidium chloride hydrochloride (ISM) are with homidium bromide, the main molecules used to treat African Animal Trypanosomosis (AAT). These drugs can be purchased from official suppliers but also from unofficial sources like local food markets or street vendors. The sub-standard quality of some of these trypanocides is jeopardizing the efficacy of treatment of sick livestock, leading thus to economic losses for the low-resource farmers and is contributing to the emergence and spread of drug resistance. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of trypanocidal drugs sold in French speaking countries of West Africa. In total, 308 drug samples including 282 of DA and 26 of ISM were purchased from official and unofficial sources in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger and Togo. All samples were analysed at LACOMEV (Dakar, Senegal), a reference laboratory of the World Organisation for Animal Health, by galenic inspection and high performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: The results showed that 51.90% of the samples were non-compliant compared to the standards and were containing lower quantity of the active ingredient compared to the indications on the packaging. The non-compliances ranged from 63.27% in Togo to 32.65% in Burkina Faso (61.82% in Benin, 53.84% in Mali, 50% in Côte d'Ivoire, 47.36% in Niger). The rates of non-compliance were not statistically different (P = 0.572) from official or unofficial suppliers and ranged from 30 to 75% and from 0 to 65% respectively. However, the non-compliance was significantly higher for ISM compared to DA (P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: The high non-compliance revealed in this study compromises the efficacy of therapeutic strategies against AAT, and is likely to exacerbate chemoresistance in West Africa. Corrective actions against sub-standard trypanocides urgently need to be taken by policy makers and control authorities.

Aberrant use and poor quality of trypanocides: a risk for drug resistance in south western Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Trypanocidal drugs have been used to control African animal trypanosomosis for several decades. In Ethiopia, these drugs are available from both authorized (legal) and unauthorized (illegal) sources but documentation on utilization practices and quality of circulating products is scanty. This study looked at the practices of trypanocidal drug utilization by farmers and the integrity of active ingredient in trypanocides sold in Gurage zone, south western Ethiopia. The surveys were based on a structured questionnaire and drug quality determination of commonly used brands originating from European and Asian companies and sold at both authorized and unauthorized markets. One hundred farmers were interviewed and 50 drug samples were collected in 2013 (Diminazene aceturate = 33 and Isometamidium chloride = 17; 25 from authorized and 25 from unauthorized sources). Samples were tested at the OIE-certified Veterinary Drug Control Laboratory (LACOMEV) in Dakar, Senegal, by using galenic standards and high performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Trypanosomosis was found to be a major threat according to all interviewed livestock keepers in the study area. Diminazene aceturate and isometamidium chloride were preferred by 79% and 21% of the respondents respectively, and 85% of them indicated that an animal receives more than six treatments per year. About 60% of these treatments were reported to be administered by untrained farmers. Trypanocidal drug sources included both unauthorized outlets (56%) and authorized government and private sources (44%). A wide availability and usage of substandard quality drugs was revealed. Twenty eight percent of trypanocidal drugs tested failed to comply with quality requirements. There was no significant difference in the frequency of non-compliance between diminazene-based and isometamidium chloride products (P = 0.87) irrespective of the marketing channel (official and unofficial). However, higher rates of non-compliant trypanocides were detected for drugs originating from Asia than from Europe (P = 0.029). CONCLUSION: The findings revealed the presence of risk factors for the development of drug resistance, i.e. wide distribution of poor quality drugs as well as substandard administration practices. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to enforce regulatory measures for quality control of veterinary drugs, to expand and strengthen veterinary services and to undertake trypanocidal drug efficacy studies of wider coverage.

Drug quality analysis through high performance liquid chromatography of isometamidium chloride hydrochloride and diminazene diaceturate purchased from official and unofficial sources in Northern Togo.

Trypanocidal drugs remain the most accessible and thus commonly used means of controlling tsetse transmitted animal African trypanosomosis. In Togo, trypanocides are sold on official as well as unofficial markets, but the quality of these trypanocides is undocumented so a drug quality assessment study was conducted from May 2013 to June 2014. Trypanocides supplied by European, Indian and Chinese pharmaceutical companies and sold on official and unofficial markets in Togo were purchased. In total fifty-two trypanocides were obtained, 24 of these samples from official markets and 28 from unofficial markets made up of a total of 36 diminazene diaceturate and 16 isometamidium chloride hydrochloride samples. The samples were analysed in the reference laboratory of the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health), Laboratory for the Control of Veterinary Medicines (LACOMEV) in Dakar which uses galenic testing and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) testing as standard reference analysis methods. The results revealed a high proportion of trypanocides of sub-standard quality on the Togolese market: 40% were non-compliant to these quality reference standards. All of the HPLC non-compliant samples contained lower amounts of active ingredient compared to the concentration specified on the packaging. Non-compliance was higher in samples from the unofficial (53.57%) than from the official markets (25%; p=0.04).The main drug manufacturers, mostly of French origin in the study area, supply quality drugs through the official legal distribution circuit. Products of other origins mostly found on illegal markets present a significantly lower quality.