Praziquantel
| 證據等級: L5 | 預測適應症: 10 個 |
目錄
Praziquantel: From Helminthic Infections to Uterine Corpus Epithelioid Leiomyosarcoma
One-Sentence Summary
Praziquantel is a long-established antiparasitic agent used worldwide for schistosomiasis and other trematode/cestode (fluke and tapeworm) infections. The TxGNN model predicts a possible link to Uterine Corpus Epithelioid Leiomyosarcoma, but this pairing currently has 0 clinical trials and 0 publications behind it — it is a model-only signal with no supporting mechanistic or clinical evidence.
Quick Overview
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Original Indication | Not captured in this evidence pack’s structured fields; praziquantel is internationally established for schistosomiasis and other trematode/cestode infections |
| Predicted New Indication | Uterine Corpus Epithelioid Leiomyosarcoma |
| TxGNN Prediction Score | 97.28% |
| Evidence Level | L5 (model prediction only, no supporting studies) |
| Australia Market Status | Not marketed |
| Number of ARTG Entries | 0 |
| Recommended Decision | Hold |
Why is This Prediction Reasonable?
Detailed mechanism of action data is not available in this evidence pack. Based on known pharmacology, praziquantel’s classical mechanism increases calcium ion permeability across the trematode/cestode tegument, causing spastic paralysis and tegumental damage — a mechanism specific to parasitic worms. There is no established action on oncogenic pathways relevant to leiomyosarcoma (e.g. KIT, PDGFB, MDM2).
The evidence pack’s own rationale for this ranking states that the high TxGNN score likely arises from indirect knowledge-graph connections between “sarcoma”-type disease nodes and antiparasitic drug nodes, rather than from any known or plausible molecular mechanism linking praziquantel to smooth-muscle tumour biology. No clinical trials or publications for this specific drug–disease pair were found in ClinicalTrials.gov, ICTRP, or PubMed searches.
Note: this same evidence pack contains a much better-supported candidate at rank 2 — Plasmodium falciparum malaria (TxGNN score 97.22%, L3, 5 clinical trials, 20 publications, including a 2025 double-blind placebo-controlled Phase IIb trial, PMID 41159886). If the goal is to identify the most defensible repurposing signal for praziquantel, that candidate warrants separate evaluation.
Clinical Trial Evidence
Currently no related clinical trials registered.
Literature Evidence
Currently no related literature available.
Australia Market Information
Praziquantel is not currently registered in the ARTG (Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods) — 0 product licences found, market status “not marketed.”
Safety Considerations
No safety data (warnings, contraindications, or drug interactions) is available in this evidence pack. Praziquantel also holds no current Australian registration, so no TGA-approved Product Information exists to reference. Any safety assessment would need to draw on international prescribing information (e.g. US FDA or UK label) pending a formal registration review, and TFDA/PI-equivalent warning data should be sourced before any S1 safety evaluation proceeds (see data gap DG001, marked Blocking).
Conclusion and Next Steps
Decision: Hold
Rationale: The prediction rests solely on a TxGNN model score, with no clinical trials, no publications, and no plausible mechanistic link to leiomyosarcoma biology identified. This meets the L5 evidence tier by definition, and there is no basis to proceed further on this specific drug–disease pair.
To proceed, the following is needed:
- Confirmed mechanism-of-action data for praziquantel (DG002, High severity gap)
- TFDA/international label warnings and contraindications (DG001, Blocking gap) before any safety-stage review
- Preclinical evidence (in vitro/in vivo) testing praziquantel activity against leiomyosarcoma cell lines or models, to establish a mechanistic rationale before clinical consideration
- If pursuing praziquantel repurposing generally, consider redirecting evaluation effort to the rank-2 candidate (P. falciparum malaria), which already has L3 evidence including a 2025 Phase IIb RCT
Disclaimer
This content is for research purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical validation is required before any clinical application.