Trade names Mentax, Lotrimin Ultra Routes of
administration Topical (cream) Molar mass 317.47 g/mol | AHFS/Drugs.com Monograph ATC code D01AE23 (WHO) CAS ID 101828-21-1 | |
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Pregnancy
category US: C (Risk not ruled out) Legal status OTC (Lotrimin Ultra), ℞-only (Mentax) | ||
Butenafine hydrochloride is a synthetic benzylamine antifungal, marketed under the trade names Mentax, Butop (India) and is the active ingredient in Lotrimin Ultra. It is structurally related to synthetic allylamine antifungals such as terbinafine.
Contents
How to pronounce butenafine
Medical uses
Butenafine is indicated for the topical treatment of tinea (pityriasis) versicolor due to Malassezia furfur, as well as athlete's foot (Tinea pedis), ringworm (Tinea corporis) and jock itch (Tinea cruris) due to Epidermophyton floccosum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, and Trichophyton tonsurans.
It also displays superior activity against Candida albicans than terbinafine and naftifine. Butenafine demonstrates low minimum inhibitory concentrations against Cryptococcus and Aspergillus.
There is some evidence that it is effective against dermatophyte infections of the toenails, but needs to be applied daily for prolonged periods (at least one year).
Butenafine is typically available as a 1% topical cream.
Pharmacology
Butenafine hydrochloride is an odorless white crystalline powder that is freely soluble in methanol, ethanol, and chloroform, and slightly soluble in water.
Like the allylamine antifungals, butenafine works by inhibiting the synthesis of ergosterol by inhibiting squalene epoxidase, an enzyme responsible for the creation of sterols needed in fungal cell membranes. Lacking ergosterol, the cell membranes increase in permeability, allowing their contents to leak out.
Typical usage
For 1% cream: