Topical Treatment of Onychomycosis and Clinically Meaningful Outcomes

Although a completely normal nail would be the ideal outcome when treating onychomycosis, this is not always achievable and long treatment courses or patient expectations can impact patient adherence.

We analyzed cure rates from a number of subpopulations derived from the two pivotal phase III studies with efinaconazole topical solution (10%) to provide some insights into clinically meaningful treatment outcomes and support for effective long-term management programs.

Efinaconazole affords greater efficacy in milder disease, female patients, and those patients whose disease is relatively recent and confined to the great toenail, following 48 weeks' treatment. With longer treatment courses, similar results may be achieved in other subpopulations. Clinically meaningful results (a 40% improvement in the involvement of the diseased nail) were achieved with efinaconazole within six months in half the patients treated, and in over 90% of patients by study end. A greater proportion of female patients achieved clinically meaningful results at six months, although treatment success did not seem to be influenced by baseline disease severity.

The majority of patients treated with efinaconazole could expect to see clinically meaningful results within six months.

J Drugs Dermatol. 2016;15(10):1260-1266.