Background: Topical therapies for onychomycosis are associated with less adverse events than systemic therapies, but poor nail penetration limits their efficacy. Consequently, an efinaconazole 10% nail solution was developed.
Objective: To review the evidence supporting the usefulness of efinaconazole monotherapy in onychomycosis management.
Methods: PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov databases and abstracts from the 2013 annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology were searched in April 2013 using the terms "efinaconazole," "IDP-108," and "KP-103."
Results: In vitro, efinaconazole possesses a broad antifungal activity similar or superior to that of other antifungals. Its low affinity for keratin results in good nail penetration. Efinaconazole 10% nail solution administered daily for 36 or 48 weeks to treat mild to moderate toenail onychomycosis caused by dermatophytes results in complete and mycologic cure rates of 15 to 25% and 53 to 87%, respectively. No serious skin reaction is associated with its use.
Conclusion: Efinaconazole 10% nail solution is a promising new treatment for onychomycosis.