Nadifloxacin (INN, brand names Acuatim, Nadiflox, Nadoxin, Nadixa, Activon) is a topical fluoroquinoloneantibiotic for the treatment of acne vulgaris.[1] It is also used to treat bacterial skin infections.
Nadifloxacin inhibits the enzyme DNA gyrase that is involved in bacterial DNA synthesis and replication, thus inhibiting the bacterial multiplication.
Nadifloxacin in addition to determine a therapeutic antibacterial action, can have a sebostatic and anti-inflammatory action, thus contributing to the improvement of the clinical condition of the patient.[2][3][4]
Pharmacokinetics
Following a single topical application of 10 g nadifloxacin 1% cream to normal human back skin, the highest plasma concentration was determined to be 107 ng/mL with an elimination half-life of 19.4 hours. Approximately 0.09% of the administered dose was excreted in the urine over 48 hours post- dosing. The plasma concentration reached a steady state on Day 5 of repeated administration study when nadifloxacin 1% cream was applied at 5 g twice daily to normal healthy individuals for a period of 7 days. The plasma concentration reached a peak of 4.1 ng/ml at 8 hours post-final dosing with an elimination half-life of 23.2 hours. The urinary excretion rate reached 0.16% on Day 7.
Clinical use
In some European countries, the drug has been approved for the treatment of acne vulgaris.[5] In a 2013 multicenter, randomized clinical study with a total of 184 Japanese patients with moderate to severe acne, adapalene 0.1% gel plus nadifloxacin 1% cream (combination therapy) showed a significant efficacy in decrement of inflammatory papulopustular lesions.[6]
In patients with skin lesions, topical application of nadifloxacin can result in plasma concentrations of 1 to 3 ng/ml. Consequently, some authors argued that it should not be used to treat relatively harmless diseases like acne vulgaris, risking the development of quinolone resistances.[7]
Adverse effects
During the treatment some patients may develop some adverse effects predominantly of the skin and subcutaneous tissue: burning and itching (in absolute the most common side effect), contact dermatitis, dryness and skin irritation.[8]
^Kuwahara K, Kitazawa T, Kitagaki H, Tsukamoto T, Kikuchi M (April 2005). "Nadifloxacin, an antiacne quinolone antimicrobial, inhibits the production of proinflammatory cytokines by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and normal human keratinocytes". Journal of Dermatological Science. 38 (1): 47–55. doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2005.01.002. PMID15795123.
^Jung JY, Kwon HH, Yeom KB, Yoon MY, Suh DH (March 2011). "Clinical and histological evaluation of 1% nadifloxacin cream in the treatment of acne vulgaris in Korean patients". International Journal of Dermatology. 50 (3): 350–357. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2010.04701.x. PMID21342170. S2CID22232885.
^Takigawa M, Tokura Y, Shimada S, Furukawa F, Noguchi N, Ito T (August 2013). "Clinical and bacteriological evaluation of adapalene 0.1% gel plus nadifloxacin 1% cream versus adapalene 0.1% gel in patients with acne vulgaris". The Journal of Dermatology. 40 (8): 620–625. doi:10.1111/1346-8138.12189. PMID23724808. S2CID31595559.
^Steinhilber D, Schubert-Zsilavecz M, Roth HJ (2005). Medizinische Chemie: Targets und Arzneistoffe. Deutscher Apotheker Verlag WVG Stuttgart. ISBN978-3-7692-3483-1.