Eflornithine hydrochloride, a specific and irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase enzyme, is a medication used for the treatment of African trypanosomiasis and excessive facial hair growth in women.

Eflornithine stands as the sole novel molecule registered in the past 50 years for treating human African trypanosomiasis, primarily serving as an alternative for cases resistant to melarsoprol involving Trypanosoma brucei gambiense[1]. Additionally, a 15% eflornithine cream has proven more effective than a placebo in reducing unwanted facial hair growth, showing significant improvement in 58% of users versus 34% of placebo recipients after six months[2]. When applied to microneedle-prepared skin in mice, eflornithine's hair growth inhibition is notably increased[3]. Furthermore, eflornithine treatment in hypertensive rats with coarctation has been shown to normalize responses to KCl, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine, illustrating a potential in restoring vascular function within 14 days[4].