# Quinfamide

**Quinfamide** (also known as WIN-40014 or Quinfamida) is a luminal amebicide, a dichloroacetyl tetrahydroquinoline ester used to treat intestinal amebiasis caused by *Entamoeba histolytica*, particularly chronic, subacute, and non-dysenteric infections in which the parasite remains within the bowel lumen. It is a recommended international nonproprietary name (INN) with a United States Adopted Name, and it is marketed mainly in Mexico and neighboring countries, often in fixed combination with the anthelmintic mebendazole.<sup>[1](https://www.drugs.com/international/quinfamide.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6673830/)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Drug class | Luminal (intraluminal) amebicide; dichloroacetyl quinolol, antiprotozoal agent<sup>[2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6673830/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.drugs.com/international/quinfamide.html)</sup> |
| Chemistry | Formula C₁₆H₁₃Cl₂NO₄, molecular weight 354.18 g/mol, CAS 62265-68-3; chemical name 2-furancarboxylic acid, 1-(dichloroacetyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-quinolinyl ester<sup>[3](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Quinfamide)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.drugs.com/international/quinfamide.html)</sup> |
| Dosing | One-day regimens: 300 mg in adults (100 mg every 8 hours); single dose 4.3 mg/kg in children<sup>[4](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6673831/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23315350/)</sup> |
| Reported efficacy | 89.2% success after one-day treatment in a 1980 double-blind trial; 100% cure at 100 mg/8 h in chronic adult amebiasis; 85% parasitological clearance versus 73% for secnidazole in children<sup>[6](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7403767/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6673830/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23315350/)</sup> |
| Regulatory status | No FDA approvals listed; ChEMBL records a maximum development phase of 3; marketed products exist in Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras, and El Salvador<sup>[7](https://drugcentral.org/drugcard/2344)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/chembl/explore/compound/CHEMBL2107014)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.drugs.com/international/quinfamide.html)</sup> |
| Preclinical safety | No adverse effects in rodents after single doses up to 10 g/kg; monkeys given up to 500 mg/kg daily for 37 days showed no pharmacological or tissue changes<sup>[9](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6252530/)</sup> |

## Chemical identity

Quinfamide is a tetrahydroquinoline derivative bearing a dichloroacetyl group on the ring nitrogen and a furan-2-carboxylate (furoyloxy) ester at the 6-position; its IUPAC name is [1-(2,2-dichloroacetyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-quinolin-6-yl] furan-2-carboxylate.<sup>[3](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Quinfamide)</sup> The compound was synthesized and tested at the Sterling Winthrop Research Institute under the code WIN-40014.<sup>[4](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6673831/)</sup> It carries the UNII O1ZB1046R1, DrugBank ID DB12780, ChEMBL ID CHEMBL2107014, and KEGG drug ID D00641.<sup>[3](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Quinfamide)</sup> The name follows the quinoline stem series of international nonproprietary names.<sup>[10](https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/international-nonproprietary-names-%28inn%29/stembook-2011-final.pdf)</sup>

## Mechanism and preclinical activity

**Luminal action.** As a luminal amebicide, quinfamide acts within the intestinal lumen rather than in tissues. Its mechanism of action has been described as intraluminal immobilization of *Entamoeba histolytica* trophozoites, with maximum blood concentration reached about 7 hours after oral administration.<sup>[11](https://www.scielo.cl/pdf/parasitol/v60n1-2/art09.pdf)</sup> A more detailed account holds that quinfamide particles are actively engulfed by the amoebas, after which the cells are affected and finally killed and lysed, a process that relies directly on physical intake of the drug particles.<sup>[12](https://www.medchemexpress.com/quinfamide.html)</sup> [In vitro](https://www.edgepedia.org/in-vitro), the drug inhibited propagation of *E. histolytica* at a concentration of 20 microgram/ml, and it showed an IC₅₀ of 28.15 μg/mL in a suspension condition.<sup>[9](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6252530/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[12](https://www.medchemexpress.com/quinfamide.html)</sup>

Animal work supported both potency and safety. In hamsters naturally infected with *Entamoeba criceti*, oral quinfamide given in multiple doses over 3 days had an ED₅₀ of 0.25 mg/kg/day (total dose 0.75 mg/kg), and after a single dose the averaged ED₅₀ was 0.9 mg/kg. It was reported to be considerably more active than the related tetrahydroquinolinols diloxanide furoate and teclozan, and approximately 1.5 times more active than etofamide. Given prophylactically, it protected hamsters from reinfection.<sup>[9](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6252530/)</sup> [Toxicology](https://www.edgepedia.org/toxicology) was unremarkable: no adverse effects in rodents after single doses as high as 10 g/kg, no pharmacological aberrations, hematological changes, or gross or microscopic tissue changes in monkeys given up to 500 mg/kg daily for as long as 37 days, and no toxicity in dogs after acute 2 g/kg dosing or in rats after chronic 500 mg/kg/day for 31 days.<sup>[9](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6252530/)</sup>

## Clinical studies

**Early one-day and dose-ranging trials.** A 1980 double-blind study in Mexico tested quinfamide as a one-day treatment for non-dysenteric intestinal amebiasis. Three groups of ten patients each received 300, 600, or 1,200 mg on a 24-hour schedule, and a fourth group received teclozan as a control drug; outcomes were judged by rectosigmoidoscopy and microscopic stool examination at 8, 15, and 30 days. Success across the three quinfamide doses was 89.2%, and side reactions were clinically non-significant, though the authors noted that more experience was needed before the drug's effectiveness was established.<sup>[6](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7403767/)</sup> Dose-ranging studies indicated effectiveness at total doses of 300, 600, or 1,200 mg.<sup>[2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6673830/)</sup>

A 1983 study in adults with chronic amebiasis tested lower doses, 100 mg and 200 mg, each given three times daily. The cure rate was 100% at 100 mg every 8 hours and 93.3% at 200 mg every 8 hours, indicating that quinfamide was an effective luminal amebicide at the doses studied.<sup>[2](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6673830/)</sup> A companion 1983 study gave quinfamide as a suspension to 46 children from newborn to 12 years old in doses ranging from 50 to 300 mg/day as single or divided doses; the drug was highly effective in eliminating trophozoites from the stool, with cure rates from 77.8% to 100% across age groups.<sup>[4](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6673831/)</sup>

**Comparison with secnidazole.** In a randomized trial in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, children aged 2 to 15 years with *E. histolytica* cysts in stool received a single dose of either quinfamide 4.3 mg/kg (112 patients) or [secnidazole](https://www.edgepedia.org/secnidazole) 30 mg/kg (127 patients). Stool samples were negative at the end of treatment in 95 patients (85%) in the quinfamide group and 93 patients (73%) in the secnidazole group (p = 0.04). Nausea, abdominal pain, and a metallic taste 3 to 5 days after dosing were more common with secnidazole, and 96% of the quinfamide group rated the flavor as good versus 12% for secnidazole. The authors concluded that quinfamide was a strong option for amoebic non-dysenteric colitis in children because of its high parasitoscopic efficacy, minimal adverse effects, good acceptance, and a single-dose schedule that guarantees completion of treatment.<sup>[5](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23315350/)</sup> A Cochrane review of antiamoebic drugs rated the quinfamide-versus-secnidazole comparison as low-certainty evidence favoring quinfamide (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.96; 239 participants) and noted that a separate trial comparing quinfamide with nitazoxanide involved only 25 participants.<sup>[13](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6326239/)</sup>

**Chemoprophylaxis.** A 2002 prospective, randomized, single-blind study examined whether quinfamide given at 3- or 6-month intervals reduced the frequency of *E. histolytica* cysts in stool among children from six primary schools in Celaya and Neutla, Guanajuato. Of 1,524 children initially sampled, 308 (20.2%) had amoebic cysts. At the conclusion of the 12-month study, 37.6% of the control group still tested positive for cysts, compared with 12.5% of the 3-month-interval group and 23.5% of the 6-month-interval group (chi-squared = 16.8; df = 2; p = 0.0002). The authors concluded that antiamoebic chemoprophylaxis could be a choice for controlling amoebic infection where hygiene and food habits were not improving.<sup>[14](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12805964/)</sup>

## Combination products and current status

Quinfamide is sold in fixed combination with mebendazole in products such as Amoebriz and Vermox Plus (Janssen-Cilag, Mexico), and with albendazole in products such as Farmiver and Zentel Dual; single-ingredient brands include Amenox, Amenide, Amefin, and Amecid.<sup>[1](https://www.drugs.com/international/quinfamide.html)</sup> A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized phase 4 trial (NCT02385058) assessed the combination of mebendazole plus quinfamide for intestinal helminthiasis and amoebiasis in the Mexican population.<sup>[15](https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT02385058)</sup> A regulatory safety review covering mebendazole and mebendazole/quinfamide reported cumulative exposure of approximately 845 million treatment courses from 1988 to 30 April 2016 across all formulations.<sup>[16](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/2016/208398orig1s000medr.pdf)</sup>

Despite this regional use, quinfamide has no FDA approval on record, and DrugCentral lists no approved pharmaceutical products containing it.<sup>[7](https://drugcentral.org/drugcard/2344)</sup> ChEMBL records its maximum development phase as 3.<sup>[8](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/chembl/explore/compound/CHEMBL2107014)</sup> Known adverse effects associated with therapeutic use include headache, nausea, and abdominal pain.<sup>[17](https://www.msdsdigital.com/system/files/Quinfamide_Tab-12-Apr-2015.pdf)</sup> In the broader landscape of luminal amebicides, the drugs of choice for intestinal (luminal) infection are generally diloxanide furoate, iodoquinol, and [paromomycin](https://www.edgepedia.org/paromomycin), and quinfamide does not appear among the agents recommended for asymptomatic *E. histolytica* infection in recent reviews.<sup>[18](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bcpt.14106)</sup>

## References

1. [Quinfamide (International), Drugs.com](https://www.drugs.com/international/quinfamide.html)
2. [Guevara L, Garcia Tsao G, Uscanga LF (1983). A study with quinfamide in the treatment of chronic amebiasis in adults. Clinical Therapeutics 6(1):43-6.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6673830/)
3. [Quinfamide, CID 71743, PubChem](https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Quinfamide)
4. [Araujo Rojas F et al. (1983). Treatment of chronic amebiasis in pediatric patients with a suspension of quinfamide. Clinical Therapeutics 6(1):47-51.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6673831/)
5. [Efficacy and Safety of Quinfamide versus Secnidazole in the Management of Amoebic Non-Dysenteric Colitis in Children. Clinical Drug Investigation.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23315350/)
6. [Guevara L (1980). Evaluation of the tolerance and efficiency of quinfamide, a new intraluminal amebicide, in man (one day treatment). Double blind study. Rev Gastroenterol Mex 45(2):93-7.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7403767/)
7. [quinfamide, DrugCentral 2344](https://drugcentral.org/drugcard/2344)
8. [Compound: QUINFAMIDE (CHEMBL2107014), ChEMBL](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/chembl/explore/compound/CHEMBL2107014)
9. [Activity of quinfamide against natural infections of Entamoeba criceti in hamsters: a new potent agent for intestinal amoebiasis.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6252530/)
10. [INN - The use of stems, WHO (2011)](https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/international-nonproprietary-names-%28inn%29/stembook-2011-final.pdf)
11. [Quinfamide in a single dose in adult patients with amebiasis, Parasitología Latinoamericana 60 (2005)](https://www.scielo.cl/pdf/parasitol/v60n1-2/art09.pdf)
12. [Quinfamide (WIN-40014), MedChemExpress](https://www.medchemexpress.com/quinfamide.html)
13. [Antiamoebic drugs for treating amoebic colitis, Cochrane Review (PMC6326239)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6326239/)
14. [Padilla N et al. (2002). Antiamoebic chemoprophylaxis using quinfamide in children: a comparative study. TheScientificWorldJournal.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12805964/)
15. [Mebendazole and Quinfamide in Helminthiasis and Amoebiasis, NCT02385058, ICH GCP](https://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT02385058)
16. [FDA Clinical Review, NDA 208398 (mebendazole), 2016](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/nda/2016/208398orig1s000medr.pdf)
17. [Quinfamide Tablets Safety Data Sheet](https://www.msdsdigital.com/system/files/Quinfamide_Tab-12-Apr-2015.pdf)
18. [Inshutiyimana et al. (2025). Diloxanide in amoebiasis management. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology.](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bcpt.14106)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Human health and medicine › Medicines and therapeutics › Anti-infective drugs and resistance › Antiviral, antifungal, and antiparasitic drugs › Antiparasitic and antifungalMiscellaneous agents*

*Initially written Oct 20, 2026*

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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license