Evaluation of the effectiveness of dequalinium chloride vaginal tablets in aerobic vaginitis: A placebo-controlled study

Background: Aerobic vaginitis is a disturbance of vaginal homeostasis caused by the colonization of enteric bacteria. They are not clinically well-defined and do not have standard treatment regimes. Hence, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of dequalinium chloride topical vaginal administration in aerobic vaginitis in a placebo-controlled manner. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in a placebo-controlled manner to demonstrate the effectiveness of vaginal 10 mg dequalinium chloride. A total of 30 patients with different vaginal infections were included in the study. The patients included in the study were divided between the drug group and the placebo group and were treated with one vaginal tablet daily for 6 days. The total symptom score, which consists of the assessment of discharge, itching, and burning sensation, and the lactobacillus grade evaluated microscopically, was determined. Results: It was found that the effectiveness of dequalinium chloride was very high compared to placebo (92% vs. 0%). The reproduction frequency in the first visit was statistically significantly lower in the drug group compared to the placebo group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: It was found that dequalinium chloride is effective for the treatment of aerobic vaginitis. However, studies containing a larger sample group, including the long-term effects (efficacy and side effects) of the drug, should be conducted to prove our conclusion.

A Bilayer Vaginal Tablet for the Localized Delivery of Disulfiram and 5-Fluorouracil to the Cervix

This study was performed to develop an adjuvant therapy in the form of a self-administered vaginal tablet regimen for the localized delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs. This therapy will help to reduce relapse by eradicating cancerous cells in the margin of cervical tumors. The vaginal tablet is a very common formulation that is easy to manufacture, easy to place in the vagina, and has a low cost of manufacture, making them ideal for use in developing countries. A combination of disulfiram and 5-fluorouracil, which are both off-patent drugs and provide different modes of action, were evaluated. The tablets developed were evaluated for weight variation, thickness, hardness, friability, swelling index, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), particle morphology, in vitro drug release, and cytotoxicity on Ca-Ski cells. Both layers were designed to release both drugs concurrently for a synergistic effect. The polymer–polymer interaction between the layers was able to reduce the loss of formulation due to chitosan. While the bilayer tablet had satisfactory performance in the physicochemical tests, in vitro cell culture with Ca-Ski also showed a synergistic effect using a combination of drugs at a low dose. However, the formulation only had 24-h dose release before degradation. Further drug combinations should be evaluated in subsequent studies.