Terbinafine

Abstract

Terbinafine is an oral and topical antifungal agent in the allylamine class of antifungal compounds [1]. Discovered in 1983, it is closely related to naftifine. It became available in Europe in 1991, and in 1996 in the United States. Terbinafine is the only oral allylamine available in the United States and is used largely for the treatment of superficial fungal infections, especially those due to dermatophytes. There has been significant interest in developing the drug for the treatment of deep mycoses, either alone or in combination, for disorders such as cryptococcosis, invasive aspergillosis, and other mould infections, but there are only scant clinical data evaluating its efficacy in these settings. Terbinafine is a valuable antifungal drug for the treatment of superficial fungal infections, and has potential as an adjunctive agent in the treatment of selected deep mycoses.