Clinical evaluation of terconazole. European experience

Terconazole is a new topical antifungal agent that differs structurally and functionally from the imidazoles. European clinical trials were conducted to determine (1) the lowest effective dose for a given treatment period, (2) which formulation should be tested further, and (3) how terconazole compares with other topical antifungal agents in terms of safety and efficacy. The results of dose-response studies demonstrated that 80- and 240-mg suppositories and 0.4% cream were the most effective formulations. Data from multicenter studies of pregnant and nonpregnant women in Belgium and Luxembourg indicate that the efficacy of terconazole cream is superior to that of miconazole nitrate cream and clotrimazole cream. Terconazole cream is also more effective than clotrimazole cream in terms of lower relapse rates.