Amorolfine: Effects, Uses & Risks

The antifungal agent Amorolfine can be used to treat dermatological fungal diseases. The active ingredient is available as a varnish for the treatment of nail fungus and as a cream for skin fungus.

What is amorolfine?

The active ingredient is available as a varnish for treating nail fungus as well as a cream for skin fungus. Amorolfine is used to treat various fungal infections of the skin and nails. These include dermatophytes, yeasts and molds. Typical fungal infections for which Amorolfine is successful are:

  • Nail fungus (onchomycosis).
  • Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis)
  • Fungus of the skin of the groin region (tinea inguinalis).
  • Fungus of the skin of the trunk (tinea corporis).
  • Skin infections caused by yeasts of the species Candida albicans.

The active ingredient is commercially available without a prescription as a special nail varnish with an amorolfine concentration of 5% and as a prescription cream. The nail varnishes are distributed by the companies Aliud (Amorolfin AL), Stada and Ratiopharm, the cream as Loceryl cream by the manufacturer Galderma laboratory.

Pharmacological action

Amorolfine belongs to the group of active substances known as fungicides, which are also called antifungals or antifungal agents. With its fungistatic to fungicidal effect, the drug Amorolfin fights fungal diseases of the outer hairless parts of the skin – especially the trunk, groin, feet – as well as the nails. These fungal diseases are dermatophytes, dimorphic fungi as well as yeasts. In short, amorolfine interferes with the normal structure of these fungi, thus hindering their viability. In more detail, amorolfine inhibits D14 reductase as well as D7-D8 isomerase. As a result, increased ignosterol accumulates in the cell membrane of the fungi, inhibiting their growth. As effective as amorolfine proves to be, this effect is limited to the areas of skin affected by the fungus. The active ingredient is hardly absorbed by intact skin. At most, only minor side effects such as burning, redness or itching can be observed. Nail polish for onychomycosis can also be used without any problems in the case of nail fungus. It penetrates deeply into the affected nails, thus killing the fungi excellently, but not damaging the nail structure. The nail discoloration that may occur during the use of nail polish with amorolfine is only a temporary aesthetic impairment.

Medical application and use

Amorolfine is applied directly locally to the affected skin areas or nails in the case of skin and nail mycoses. For the skin, the active ingredient is available in a cream and for the nails as a special nail polish without a prescription. The drug Amorolfin is effective against fungal infections of the skin on the trunk and groin, as well as against other infections of the skin caused by Candida-albicans yeasts, against athlete’s foot and against nail fungal diseases, also known as onychomycoses. Therapy with Amorolfin results in growth inhibition to killing of the fungi, as the active ingredient prevents the fungi from producing special substances that are essential for the survival and reproduction of the fungi. The over-the-counter nail polish containing amorolfine can be prescribed by a doctor, but it is also very suitable for self-medication. It should be noted that the nail mycosis must not exceed 80% of the total nail area. Otherwise, resort to another therapy and be sure to seek medical advice. The applied nail polish penetrates deep into the nail and shows a strong and long-lasting effect. It is usually sufficient to apply the polish only once a week. Before applying new polish, remove old polish residues with isopropanol swabs. Thickened remains are best removed with a disposable file. Since toenails on feet grow slowly, Amorolfin nail polish should be used for a longer period of time. Usually 6 to 7 months, in some cases even a whole year. As a side effect to be evaluated aesthetically, nail discoloration may occur under treatment with Amorolfine nail polish.

Risks and side effects

Applied to fungus-infected outer hairless skin areas, Amorolfin yields excellent efficacy. Occasionally, mild adverse effects occur, such as burning, redness, or itching. Contact eczema is also possible. Very rarely, vesicles develop on the treated skin area. Amorolfine is hardly absorbed by healthy skin.Besides the already mentioned possible side effects of antifungal treatments with Amorolfine, there are also a few contraindications. Thus, it must not be used in:

  • Hyposensitivity to amorolfine
  • Severely injured or inflamed skin
  • Artificial nails
  • Infants and young children
  • Pregnant and breastfeeding women

It should also be noted that the combination of amorolfine with other antifungals can add up the effect.