Abstract
Objective: To describe the therapeutic arsenal used for the treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (LC), reviewing the scientific literature that addresses pharmacological aspects. Methods: Review published in journals indexed in databases such as ScienceDirect, PubMed and Scielo, and manuals published by the Ministry of Health and WHO, with the following criteria: to be published within the last 20 years, covering studies with current pharmacotherapy and pharmacological alternatives for the treatment of LC. Results: 1957 articles were found, 1690 articles in ScienceDirect, 206 in PubMed and 61 in Scielo. Articles that reported promising new drugs for LC, or combinations of drugs already used in conventional therapy with new substances corresponded to 27.59% of the total. Other aspects of pharmacotherapy widely addressed were innovations in the therapeutic scheme or formulation, but few studies reported the mechanism of action. Drugs such as meglumine antimoniate, pentamidine isothionate and amphotericin B are the most used in LC therapy, and possible mechanisms of action in the Leishmania cell have been reviewed. Final considerations: The therapeutic arsenal for LC is still limited, and little innovation has occurred in the last 20 years, although substances of natural origin have been attracting interest as possible new therapeutic targets.