Eflornithine hydrochloride is a specific, irreversible inhibitor of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase. Eflornithine is a medication for the treatment of African trypanosomiasis and excessive facial hair growth in women.
Eflornithine is the only new molecule registered for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis over the last 50 years. It is the drug used mainly as a back-up for melarsoprol refractory Trypanosoma brucei gambiense cases[1]. In subjects with excessive, unwanted facial hair, eflornithine 15% cream is superior to placebo in reducing hair growth. After 24 weeks' treatment, 58% of eflornithine and 34% of placebo subjects have at least some improvement in facial hirsutism[2]. The hair growth inhibitory activity of eflornithine is significantly enhanced when the eflornithine cream is applied onto a mouse skin area pretreated with microneedles[3]. Treatment of coarctation hypertensive rats with eflornithine results in a normalization of the contractile intensity to KCI and norepinephrine and relaxations to acetylcholine by 14 days of hypertension[4].
[1]. Burri C, et al. Eflornithine for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis. Parasitol Res. 2003 Jun;90 Supp 1:S49-52. [2]. Balfour JA, et al. Topical eflornithine. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2001;2(3):197-201; discussion 202. [3]. Kumar A, et al. A method to improve the efficacy of topical eflornithine hydrochloride cream. Drug Deliv. 2016 Jun;23(5):1495-501. [4]. Lipke DW, et al. Eflornithine alters changes in vascular responsiveness associated with coarctation hypertension. Clin Exp Hypertens. 1997 Apr;19(3):297-312.