Oxiconazole Nitrate: Pharmacology, Efficacy, and Safety of a New Imidazole Antifungal Agent

Oxiconazole nitrate (1%) cream, introduced in the U.S. in 1989, was effective for once-daily treatment of tinea pedis, tinea cruris, tinea corporis, and tinea versicolor. It showed high in vitro efficacy against various dermatophytes and maintained fungicidal concentrations in the skin for over 16 hours. Clinical trials demonstrated mycologic and clinical cures in at least 80% of patients with tinea pedis, tinea corporis, tinea cruris, and tinea versicolor. Oxiconazole was as effective or more effective than other antifungal creams like miconazole, clotrimazole, and tolnaftate, and better tolerated than econazole. It had no detectable systemic effects, making it suitable for patients with compliance issues.