Ketoconazole: A Promising Drug for Fungal Infections
May 2023
in “
Asian journal of research in pharmaceutical sciences
”
TLDR Ketoconazole is effective for treating various fungal infections and has new uses in dermatology, but oral use can have serious side effects.
Ketoconazole, a synthetic imidazole antifungal agent, is effective in treating a variety of fungal infections such as surface fungal infections, genital candidiasis, chronic mucocutaneous candidosis, and dermatophytosis. It is unique among older imidazole antifungals in that it is effective when taken orally. It is also used to prevent fungal infections in immunocompromised individuals and has been used to treat advanced prostatic cancer due to its ability to inhibit adrenal sex hormone production. Despite oral ketoconazole having significant adverse effects leading to market withdrawal and labelling modifications, topical ketoconazole is deemed safe and effective, particularly for treating superficial fungal infections. New dermatologic uses for topical ketoconazole include treating onychomycosis, blepharitis, and hair loss.
