BUTENAFINE

Butenafine is a new antifungal agent with primary fungicidal activity against dermatophytes such as Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis and Trichophyton rubrum which cause tinea infections. C-14-labe lled butenafine (=30 mu g/g tissue) was found within guinea-pig dorsal skin 24 hours after topical application. Most of the drug was distrib uted into the epidermis including the horny layer. Small amounts were found in the dermis, probably transported via sebaceous glands and hai r follicles. In vitro, the minimum concentration that completely inhib ited growth of dermatophytes (MIG) and the minimum fungicidal concentr ations (MFC) for butenafine against T. mentagrophytes and M. canis wer e similar(0.012 to 0.05 mg/L) and were 4 to 130 times lower than those for naftifine, tolnaftate, clotrimazole and bifonazole. It also has g reater activity against I: rubrum, M. gypseum and Epidermophyton flocc osum when compared with naftifine tolnaftate and clotrimazole; compari sons with bifonazole against these strains were not available. Assessm ent after 1 week's treatment in patients with tinea pedis revealed tha t mycological cure rates were greater in those who received twice-dail y butenafine for 1 week or once-daily butenafine for 4 weeks than in p lacebo recipients. Mycological and overall cure rates were either furt her increased or maintained up to 5 weeks after treatment cessation co mpared with end-of-treatment values. In patients with tinea cruris or tinea corporis who received once-daily butenafine 1% for 2 weeks, the mycological and overall cure rates continued to increase for up to 1 w eeks after treatment cessation.