New topical antifungal drugs

The new antifungal drugs used for topical treatment of superficial, skin and mucosal mycoses are reviewed. Amorolfine and allylamines (naftifine and terbinafine) are promising original molecules with new and different modes of action against fungi. Rilopirox is a new pyridone derivative under study. A great number of azole derivatives, such as oxiconazole, isoconazole, sulconazole, and terconazole, are used as topical antifungals. Three of them are synthesized in Barcelona by pharmaceutical laboratories: sertaconazole, flutrimazole and eberconazole. All of them are now in the register process for commercialization. The combination of antifungals with active products, such as keratoplastics, is used mainly for the treatment of onychomycoses; 40% urea associated with 1% bifonazole has shown high efficacy for this indication.