Infection and Drug Resistance Journal:

Tinea is superficial fungal infections typically caused by dermatophytes.

Superficial fungal infections are widespread, with an estimated worldwide prevalence of 20%–25%, and include tinea pedis (athlete’s foot), tinea cruris (jock itch), and tinea corporis (ringworm), among others

Topical allylamine (terbinafine and butenafine) and imidazole (clotrimazole and bifonazole) antifungals are popular treatment choices for infections of the feet, body, and groin.

However, current imidazole antifungals have some limitations: conventional use has produced fungal resistance and many agents require treatment courses lasting several weeks, which can contribute to patient nonadherence, and ultimately, disease recurrence.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

Luliconazole is a novel broad-spectrum imidazole antifungal. Luliconazole has been shown to have antifungal activity against dermatophytes and Candida in vitro, and has been clinically assessed for the treatment of tinea pedis, cruris, and corporis.

luliconazole 1% cream applied once daily for 2 weeks successfully resolved the clinical signs and symptoms as well as eradicated the pathologic fungi, which cause tinea pedis. A 1-week treatment with luliconazole 1% cream also produced favorable clinical and mycological results in clinical trials for tinea corporis and tinea cruris. 

luliconazole requires a short duration of treatment, it may assist in reducing disease recurrence as a result of patient nonadherence.

Luliconazole 1% cream is currently approved for the once-daily treatment of tinea pedis, tinea cruris, and tinea corporis.

CONCLUSION

The results summarized demonstrate that luliconazole 1% cream is effective for the treatment of superficial fungal infections, with comparable AEs to existing antifungals. Luliconazole’s short duration of treatment (2 weeks for tinea pedis, 1 week for tinea cruris/corporis) is an advantage given that patient compliance with longer treatment regimens is a challenge.