Terbinafine – topical
Classification: BATC code: D01AE15
Summary
There are some studies with analyses of sex differences in effect of terbinafine cream but the results are contradictory and the clinical relevance is unclear.
Additional information
Most published studies show a higher prevalence of onychomycosis in men. However, the male/female ratio varies between study population and study types. In population-based studies, the male/female ratio was 1.6. In hospital-based studies, the male/female ratio was 1.9 in North America, 1.5 in Europe, 0.8 in South America [1].
Pharmacokinetics and dosing
No difference between men and women has been shown for transdermal absorption in general [2].
Effects
A small study of patients with mild or moderate papulopustular rosacea (7 men, 25 women) showed that 8 weeks treatment with topical metronidazole or terbinafine yielded similar effect in men and women [3].
Adverse effects
No studies with a clinically relevant sex analysis regarding adverse effects of topical terbinafine have been found.
Reproductive health issues
Regarding teratogenic aspects, please consult Janusmed Drugs and Birth Defects (in Swedish, Janusmed fosterpåverkan).
Updated: 2022-11-08
Date of litterature search: 2022-09-22
References
- Sigurgeirsson B, Baran R. The prevalence of onychomycosis in the global population: a literature study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2014;28:1480-91. PubMed
- Schwartz JB. The influence of sex on pharmacokinetics. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2003;42:107-21. PubMed
- Serdar ZA, Yaşar Ş. Efficacy of 1% terbinafine cream in comparison with 075% metronidazole gel for the treatment of papulopustular rosacea. Cutan Ocul Toxicol. 2011;30:124-8. PubMed
- Concise (INSIKT). Kalmar: eHälsomyndigheten. 2018 [cited 2019-03-14.] länk
Reviewed by: Diana Rydberg
Approved by: Karin Schenck-Gustafsson