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Loprox Cream (Ciclopirox Cream): Side Effects, Uses, Dosage, Interactions, Warnings

Loprox Cream

Last updated on RxList: 7/28/2021

Drug Summary

What Is Loprox Cream?

Loprox Cream (ciclopirox) is an antifungal medication used to treat skin infections such as athlete's foot, jock itch, ringworm, and yeast infections. Loprox shampoo is used to treat seborrheic dermatitis (inflammatory skin condition) of the scalp. Loprox topical nail lacquer is used to treat fungal infections of the toenails and fingernails. Loprox Cream is available in generic form.

What Are Side Effects of Loprox Cream?

Common side effects of Loprox Cream include:

  • burning,
  • stinging,
  • redness, or
  • itching at the application site.

Tell your doctor if you have unlikely but serious side effects of Loprox Cream including:

  • blistering,
  • swelling, or
  • oozing at the application site.

Dosage for Loprox Cream

The recommended dose of Loprox Cream is to gently massage into the affected and surrounding skin areas twice daily, in the morning and evening.

What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Loprox Cream?

Avoid using other topical products at the same time unless directed by your doctor. Other skin medications may affect the absorption or effectiveness of Loprox topical formulations. Do not use nail polish, artificial nails, or other cosmetic nail products on the nails treated with Loprox topical nail lacquer. Other drugs may also interact with Loprox. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

Loprox Cream During Pregnancy or Breastfeeding

During pregnancy, Loprox should be used only when prescribed. It is unknown if this medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Additional Information

Our Loprox Cream (ciclopirox) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

Description for Loprox Cream

LOPROX® Cream (ciclopirox) 0.77% is for topical use.

Each gram of LOPROX® Cream contains 7.70 mg of ciclopirox (as ciclopirox olamine) in a water miscible vanishing cream base consisting of purified water USP, cetyl alcohol NF, light mineral oil NF, octyldodecanol NF, stearyl alcohol NF, polysorbate 60 NF, myristyl alcohol, sorbitan monostearate NF, lactic acid USP, and benzyl alcohol NF (1%) as preservative.

LOPROX® Cream contains a synthetic, broad-spectrum, antifungal agent ciclopirox (as ciclopirox olamine). The chemical name is 6-cyclohexyl-1-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(1H)-pyridone, 2-aminoethanol salt.

The CAS Registry Number is 41621-49-2. The chemical structure is:

LOPROX® CREAM (ciclopirox) Structural Formula Illustration

Uses for Loprox Cream

LOPROX® Cream is indicated for the topical treatment of the following dermal infections: tinea pedis, tinea cruris, and tinea corporis due to Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Epidermophyton floccosum, and Microsporum canis; candidiasis (moniliasis) due to Candida albicans; and tinea (pityriasis) versicolor due to Malassezia furfur.

Dosage for Loprox Cream

Gently massage LOPROX ® Cream into the affected and surrounding skin areas twice daily, in the morning and evening. Clinical improvement with relief of pruritus and other symptoms usually occurs within the first week of treatment. If a patient shows no clinical improvement after four weeks of treatment with LOPROX® Cream, the diagnosis should be redetermined. Patients with tinea versicolor usually exhibit clinical and mycological clearing after two weeks of treatment.

HOW SUPPLIED

LOPROX® Cream (ciclopirox) 0.77% is supplied in 15 gram (NDC 99207-015-15), 30 gram (NDC 99207-015-30), and 90 gram (NDC 99207-015-90) tubes.

Store at 15° - 30°C (59° - 86°F).

Manufactured for: Medicis, The Dermatology Company Scottsdale, AZ 85256 by: Patheon, Inc. Mississauga, Ontario L5N 7K9 Canada. Prescribing Information as of 06/2013.

Side Effects for Loprox Cream

In all controlled clinical studies with 514 patients using LOPROX® Cream and in 296 patients using the vehicle cream, the incidence of adverse reactions was low. This included pruritus at the site of application in one patient and worsening of the clinical signs and symptoms in another patient using ciclopirox cream and burning in one patient and worsening of the clinical signs and symptoms in another patient using the vehicle cream.

Drug Interactions for Loprox Cream

No information provided.

Warnings for Loprox Cream

LOPROX® Cream is not for ophthalmic use.

Keep out of reach of children.

Precautions for Loprox Cream

If a reaction suggesting sensitivity or chemical irritation should occur with the use of LOPROX® Cream, treatment should be discontinued and appropriate therapy instituted.

Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility

A 104-week dermal carcinogenicity study in mice was conducted with ciclopirox cream applied at doses up to 1.93% (100 mg/kg/day or 300 mg/m²/day). No increase in drug related neoplasms was noted when compared to control.

The following in vitro genotoxicity tests have been conducted with ciclopirox: evaluation of gene mutation in the Ames Salmonella and E. coli assays (negative); chromosome aberration assays in V79 Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cells, with and without metabolic activation (positive); chromosome aberration assays in V79 Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cells in the presence of supplemental Fe3+, with and without metabolic activation (negative); gene mutation assays in the HGPRT-test with V79 Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cells (negative); and a primary DNA damage assay (i.e., unscheduled DNA synthesis assay in A549 human cells) (negative). An in vitro cell transformation assay in BALB/c 3T3 cells was negative for cell transformation. In an in vivo Chinese hamster bone marrow cytogenetic assay, ciclopirox was negative for chromosome aberrations at a dosage of 5000 mg/kg body weight.

A combined oral fertility and embryofetal developmental study was conducted in rats with ciclopirox olamine. No effect on fertility or reproductive performance was noted at the highest dose tested of 3.85 mg/kg/day ciclopirox (approximately 1.2 times the maximum recommended human dose based on body surface area comparisons).

Pregnancy

Teratogenic Effects - Pregnancy Category B

There are no adequate or well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Therefore, LOPROX Cream should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

Oral embryofetal developmental studies were conducted in mice, rats, rabbits and monkeys. Ciclopirox or ciclopirox olamine was orally administered during the period of organogenesis. No maternal toxicity, embryotoxicity or teratogenicity were noted at the highest doses of 77, 125, 80 and 38.5 mg/kg/day ciclopirox in mice, rats, rabbits and monkeys, respectively (approximately 11, 37, 51 and 24 times the maximum recommended human dose based on body surface area comparisons, respectively).

Dermal embryofetal developmental studies were conducted in rats and rabbits with ciclopirox olamine dissolved in PEG 400. Ciclopirox olamine was topically administered during the period of organogenesis. No maternal toxicity, embryotoxicity or teratogenicity were noted at the highest doses of 92 mg/kg/day and 77 mg/kg/day ciclopirox in rats and rabbits, respectively (approximately 27 and 49 times the maximum recommended human dose based on body surface area comparisons, respectively).

Nursing Mothers

It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when LOPROX ® Cream is administered to a nursing woman.

Pediatric Use

Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients below the age of 10 years have not been established.

Overdose Information for Loprox Cream

No information provided.

Contraindications for Loprox Cream

LOPROX® Cream is contraindicated in individuals who have shown hypersensitivity to any of its components.

Clinical Pharmacology for Loprox Cream

Mechanism of Action

Ciclopirox is a hydroxypyridone antifungal agent that acts by chelation of polyvalent cations (Fe3+ or Al3+), resulting in the inhibition of the metal-dependent enzymes that are responsible for the degradation of peroxides within the fungal cell.

Pharmacokinetics

Pharmacokinetic studies in men with tagged ciclopirox solution in polyethylene glycol 400 showed an average of 1.3% absorption of the dose when it was applied topically to 750 cm² on the back followed by occlusion for 6 hours. The biological half-life was 1.7 hours and excretion occurred via the kidney. Two days after application only 0.01% of the dose applied could be found in the urine. Fecal excretion was negligible.

Penetration studies in human cadaverous skin from the back, with LOPROX® Cream with tagged ciclopirox showed the presence of 0.8 to 1.6% of the dose in the stratum corneum 1.5 to 6 hours after application. The levels in the dermis were still 10 to 15 times above the minimum inhibitory concentrations.

Autoradiographic studies with human cadaverous skin showed that ciclopirox penetrates into the hair and through the epidermis and hair follicles into the sebaceous glands and dermis, while a portion of the drug remains in the stratum corneum.

Draize Human Sensitization Assay, 21-Day Cumulative Irritancy study, Phototoxicity study, and Photo-Draize study conducted in a total of 142 healthy male subjects showed no contact sensitization of the delayed hypersensitivity type, no irritation, no phototoxicity, and no photo-contact sensitization due to LOPROX® Cream.

Patient Information for Loprox Cream

The patient should be told to:

  1. Use the medication for the full treatment time even though symptoms may have improved and notify the physician if there is no improvement after four weeks.
  2. Inform the physician if the area of application shows signs of increased irritation (redness, itching, burning, blistering, swelling, or oozing) indicative of possible sensitization.
  3. Avoid the use of occlusive wrappings or dressings.
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