Luliconazole cream 1%, when applied once daily for 14 days in the treatment of tinea pedis, is well tolerated and more effective than the vehicle. This was shown in a phase 3 study conducted to assess luliconazole cream 1%s safety and efficacy in patients with tinea pedis.

In the study, 321 male and female patients with tinea pedis ≥12 years were included. Efficacy of the cream was assessed at days 28 and 42 (after 14 days and 28 days of treatment, respectively) based on clinical signs (erythema, scaling, pruritus) and mycology (KOH, fungal culture). The study results showed that complete clearance at day 42 was seen in 26.4% of patients treated with luliconazole cream 1% compared with 1.9% of patients treated with vehicle (P<0.001). There were no adverse events reported using luliconazole cream, and the vehicle and luliconazole crema showed similar safety profiles.

Interdigital tinea pedis is one of the most common clinical presentations of dermatophytosis. Luliconazole cream 1% is also indicated for the topical treatment of tinea cruris and tinea corporis caused by Trichophyton rubrum and Epidermophyton floccosum. It is an imidazole antifungal agent with a unique structure. It has shown favorable activity against Candida albicans, Malassezia spp., and Aspergillus fumigatus in in vitro studies. The strong antifungal activity of luliconazole is possibly attributed to a combination of strength in vitro antifungal activity and favorable pharmacokinetics in the skin.

Reference: Jarratt M, et al. Efficacy and safety of once-daily luliconazole 1% cream in patients ≥12 years of age with interdigital tinea pedis: a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled study. J Drugs Dermatol. 2014; 13(7): 838-846.