Pharmacokinetics
Following oral administration, terbinafine is well absorbed (>70%) and the
bioavailability of LAMISIL® (terbinafine hydrochloride tablets) Tablets
as a result of first-pass metabolism is approximately 40%. Peak plasma concentrations
of 1 µg/mL appear within 2 h after a single 250 mg dose; the AUC (area
under the curve) is approximately 4.56 µg·h/mL. An increase in
the AUC of terbinafine of less than 20% is observed when LAMISIL® is administered
with food. No clinically relevant age-dependent changes in steady-state plasma
concentrations of terbinafine have been reported. In patients with renal impairment
(creatinine clearance ≤ 50mL/min) or hepatic cirrhosis, the clearance of
terbinafine is decreased by approximately 50% compared to normal volunteers.
No effect of gender on the blood levels of terbinafine was detected in clinical
trials. In plasma, terbinafine is >99% bound to plasma proteins and there
are no specific binding sites. At steady-state, in comparison to a single dose,
the peak concentration of terbinafine is 25% higher and plasma AUC increases
by a factor of 2.5; the increase in plasma AUC is consistent with an effective
half-life of ~36 hours. Terbinafine is distributed to the sebum and skin. A
terminal half-life of 200-400 h may represent the slow elimination of terbinafine
from tissues such as skin and adipose. Prior to excretion, terbinafine is extensively
metabolized. No metabolites have been identified that have antifungal activity
similar to terbinafine. Approximately 70% of the administered dose is eliminated
in the urine.
Microbiology
Terbinafine hydrochloride is a synthetic allylamine derivative. Terbinafine
hydrochloride is hypothesized to act by inhibiting squalene epoxidase, thus
blocking the biosynthesis of ergosterol, an essential component of fungal cell
membranes. In vitro, mammalian squalene epoxidase is only inhibited at
higher (4000 fold) concentrations than is needed for inhibition of the dermatophyte
enzyme. Depending on the concentration of the drug and the fungal species test
in vitro, terbinafine hydrochloride may be fungicidal. However, the clinical
significance of in vitro data is unknown.
Terbinafine has been shown to be active against most strains of the following
microorganisms both in vitro and in clinical infections as described
in the INDICATIONS AND USAGE section:
Trichophyton mentagrophytes
Trichophyton rubrum
The following in vitro data are available, but their clinical significance
is unknown. In vitro, terbinafine exhibits satisfactory MIC's against most
strains of the following microorganisms; however, the safety and efficacy of
terbinafine in treating clinical infections due to these microorganisms have
not been established in adequate and well-controlled clinical trials:
Candida albicans
Epidermophyton floccosum
Scopulariopsis brevicaulis
Clinical Studies
The efficacy of LAMISIL® (terbinafine hydrochloride tablets) Tablets in
the treatment of onychomycosis is illustrated by the response of patients with
toenail and/or fingernail infections who participated in three US/Canadian placebo-controlled
clinical trials.
Results of the first toenail study, as assessed at week 48 (12 weeks of treatment
with 36 weeks follow-up after completion of therapy), demonstrated mycological
cure, defined as simultaneous occurrence of negative KOH plus negative culture,
in 70% of patients. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of patients experienced effective
treatment (mycological cure plus 0% nail involvement or >5mm of new unaffected
nail growth); 38% of patients demonstrated mycological cure plus clinical cure
(0% nail involvement).
In a second toenail study of dermatophytic onychomycosis, in which non-dermatophytes
were also cultured, similar efficacy against the dermatophytes was demonstrated.
The pathogenic role of the non-dermatophytes cultured in the presence of dermatophytic
onychomycosis has not been established. The clinical significance of this association
is unknown.
Results of the fingernail study, as assessed at week 24 (6 weeks of treatment
with 18 weeks follow-up after completion of therapy), demonstrated mycological
cure in 79% of patients, effective treatment in 75% of the patients, and mycological
cure plus clinical cure in 59% of the patients.
The mean time to overall success was approximately 10 months for the first
toenail study and 4 months for the fingernail study. In the first toenail study,
for patients evaluated at least six months after achieving clinical cure and
at least one year after completing LAMISIL® therapy, the clinical relapse
rate was approximately 15%.
Animal Toxicology
A wide range of in vivo studies in mice, rats, dogs, and monkeys, and
in vitro studies using rat, monkey, and human hepatocytes suggest that
peroxisome proliferation in the liver is a rat-specific finding. However, other
effects, including increased liver weights and APTT, occurred in dogs and monkeys
at doses giving Css trough levels of the parent terbinafine 2-3x those seen
in humans at the MRHD. Higher doses were not tested.
Last updated on RxList: 8/20/2007