Long-term Efficacy and Safety of Once-daily Efinaconazole 10% Topical Solution (Jublia) for Dermatophyte Toenail Onychomycosis: An Interim Analysis.

Abstract

Onychomycosis, a difficult-to-treat fungal nail infection, is more prevalent in the elderly. Efinaconazole 10% topical solution is a firstline therapy for onychomycosis, based on phase III trials of 12-month treatment; the slow growth of onychomycotic nails suggests a longer treatment period may increase efficacy. This is the first efficacy and safety data for a 24-month duration of efinaconazole 10% topical solution treatment for onychomycosis. Enrolled patients (N = 101) with mild to moderate distal lateral subungual onychomycosis applied efinaconazole to all affected toenails once daily for 18-24 months. Efficacy and safety were evaluated at months 6, 12, 18, and 24 (M6, M12, M18, and M24). The study is ongoing; to date, 47 patients have completed to M24. Mycological cure (MC) was 60.0% at M12, increasing to 74.2% at M24; effective cure (MC and ≤10% clinical involvement of the target toenail) was 17.8% at M12, rising to 19.4% at M24. Mild to moderate application site reactions were the only efinaconazole-related adverse events in 8 patients (7.9%). Increased age, increased severity of onychomycosis, and the presence of mixed infections (dermatophyte plus non-dermatophyte moulds) may drive a need for longer treatment durations. Although the data are interim, there is a trend of increasing efficacy beyond M12 use, without increased safety risk, even in patients >70 years of age.