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Improved efficacy in onychomycosis therapy

Aditya K Gupta1, Maryse Paquet

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Toronto School of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Mediprobe Research, Inc., London, Ontario, Canada.

Clinics in Dermatology
|October 2, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Improving antifungal treatments for onychomycosis (fungal nail infection) faces challenges like drug access and fungal resistance. Some strategies, like combined therapies, show promise, but more evidence is needed for widespread success.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Mycology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Onychomycosis treatment success is limited by drug penetration, fungal spore presence, and pathogen susceptibility.
  • Current antifungal therapies often struggle to reach the fungal mass effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review strategies aimed at enhancing the efficacy of existing antifungal treatments for onychomycosis.
  • To evaluate the rationale and evidence supporting these therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies investigating methods to improve antifungal efficacy.
  • Analysis of evidence for combined oral and topical antifungal therapies.
  • Assessment of strategies targeting drug access and fungal resistance.

Main Results:

  • Combined oral and topical antifungal therapies demonstrated improved efficacy in some studies.
  • Most reviewed strategies lack clear, direct evidence of increased therapeutic success.
  • Factors limiting treatment success include drug access, conidia presence, and pathogen susceptibility.

Conclusions:

  • While some combination therapies show potential, robust evidence for enhanced onychomycosis treatment success remains limited.
  • Further research is needed to validate strategies that overcome challenges in antifungal drug delivery and resistance.

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