Niclosamide

Niclosamide (trade name Niclocide) is a teniacide in the anthelmintic family especially effective against cestodes that infect humans and many other animals. It is a salicylanilide compound (5-chloro-N-(2-chloro-4-nitrophenyl)-2-hydrobenzamide) also used as a piscicide. While antihelmintics are a drug family used to treat worm infections, niclosamide is used specifically to treat tapeworms and is not effective against other worms such as pinworms or roundworms. It is a chewable tablet taken orally, dosage depending on type of worm and patient's age and/or weight. It is not usually considered the drug of choice for treating cestode infection in humans or animals because of its side effects, though it remains highly effective and is generally inexpensive.