title: Short-term therapy with luliconazole, a novel topical antifungal imidazole, in guinea pig models of tinea corporis and tinea pedis.
abstract: Luliconazole is a novel topical antifungal imidazole with broad-spectrum and potent antifungal activity. The drug is under clinical development in the United States for management of dermatophytosis with a short-term treatment regimen. The present study was undertaken to investigate the clinical benefit of short-term therapy with luliconazole cream in guinea pig models of tinea corporis and tinea pedis induced with Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The dose-dependent therapeutic efficacy of topical luliconazole cream (0.02 to 1%), measured by macroscopic improvement of skin lesions and by fungal eradication as determined by a culture assay, was demonstrated using a tinea corporis model. The improvement in skin lesions seen with luliconazole cream was observed even at a concentration of 0.02%, and its efficacy at 0.1% was equal to that of 1% bifonazole cream. The efficacy of short-term therapy with 1% luliconazole cream, which is used for clinical management, was investigated using the tinea corporis model (4- and 8-day treatment regimens) and the tinea pedis model (7- and 14-day treatment regimens). The 1% luliconazole cream completely eradicated the fungus in half or less of the treatment time required for 1% terbinafine cream and 1% bifonazole cream, as determined by a culture assay for both models. These results clearly indicate that 1% luliconazole cream is sufficiently potent for short-term treatment for dermatophytosis compared to existing drugs. Luliconazole is expected to be useful in the clinical management of dermatophytosis.
authors.affiliation: Research Center, Nihon Nohyaku Co, Ltd, Kawachi-Nagano, Osaka, Japan. koga-hiroyasu@nichino.co.jp
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nanjoh
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.forename: Hideyo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Ryoji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014005:Tinea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014008:Tinea Pedis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D007093:Imidazoles; C112528:luliconazole