[Multicenter double-blind contralateral comparison of naftifin and clotrimazole cream in patients with dermatophytosis and candidiasis]

Abstract

Naftifine, an allylamine derivative, represents a new class of antimycotic agents. During a multicentric, double blind, intraindividual, contralateral comparison study, 126 patients with dermatophytosis or candidosis were examined with regard to antimycotic efficacy and local tolerance of Naftifine cream or Clotrimazole cream. After treatment with Naftifine for 7 days, 63.5% of the patients were mycologically cured, whereas 56% were cured with the help of Clotrimazole. After 2 weeks, the healing rate amounted to 84% under both drugs. At that time, 95% of the patients showed negative cultures on both corresponding body sites. Regarding the improvement of the clinical symptoms and the frequency of relapses occurring 4 weeks after the end of treatment as well as local side effects, there was no substantial difference between both drugs. The "responder-rate" towards Naftifine, however, was higher by the end of treatment. The local tolerance of both drugs was excellent or good on more than 90% of the patients.