Sertaconazole nitrate

Absorption

Bioavailability is negligible.

Description

Sertaconazole has been developed and launched for the treatment of dermatological fungal infections by Ferrer Internacional S. A. Mylan received FDA approval for sertaconazole nitrate cream for the treatment of athlete's foot (tinea pedis) at the end of 2003.

The Uses of Sertaconazole nitrate

An imidazole antifungal agent, inhibits the synthesis of ergosterol, an essential cell wall component of fungi.

Background

Sertaconazole nitrate is an antifungal medication of the imidazole class. It is available in topical formulations for the treatment of skin infections such as athlete's foot.

Indications

For the topical treatment of interdigital tinea pedis in immunocompetent patients 12 years of age and older, caused by Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Epidermophyton floccosum.

Definition

ChEBI: 1-{2-[(7-chloro-1-benzothiophen-3-yl)methoxy]-2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl}imidazole is a member of the class of imidazoles that carries a 2-[(7-chloro-1-benzothiophen-3-yl)methoxy]-2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl group at position 1. It is a dichlorobenzene, an ether, a member of imidazoles and a member of 1-benzothiophenes.

Indications

Topical treatment of mycoses of the skin induced or sustained by fungi such as yeasts and dermatophytes. New formulations for the treatment of vaginal mycoses are in development.

Antimicrobial activity

Sertaconazole is a rather new broad-spectrum imidazole antimycotic with activity against almost all species of pathogenic fungi. It also has excellent activity against pathogenic yeasts.

Pharmacokinetics

Sertaconazole is an imidazole/triazole type antifungal agent. Sertaconazole is a highly selective inhibitor of fungal cytochrome P-450 sterol C-14 α-demethylation via the inhibition of the enzyme cytochrome P450 14α-demethylase. This enzyme converts lanosterol to ergosterol, and is required in fungal cell wall synthesis. The subsequent loss of normal sterols correlates with the accumulation of 14 α-methyl sterols in fungi and may be partly responsible for the fungistatic activity of fluconazole. Mammalian cell demethylation is much less sensitive to fluconazole inhibition. Sertaconazole exhibits in vitro activity against Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida spp. Fungistatic activity has also been demonstrated in normal and immunocompromised animal models for systemic and intracranial fungal infections due to Cryptococcus neoformans and for systemic infections due to Candida albicans.

Synthesis

2,4-Dichloro acetophenone 169 was brominated at low temperature to give bromide intermediate 170, which was used without isolation. To the same pot, five-fold excess of imidazole was added to give imidazolylacetophenone 171 in 71% yield from 169. Sodium borohydride was employed to reduce ketone 171 to alcohol 172 in 78% yield. Racemic alcohol 172 was resolved with (-)-DIP-chloride to give its corresponding chiral R-alcohol 173 in 80% yield. Compound 173 was then alkylated with 3-bromomethyl-7-chlorobenzo[b]thiophene (174) in dry DMF in the presence of potassium t-butoxide to give the alkylation product in 68% yield. Finally, 60% nitric acid was used to make sertaconazole mononitrate (XXI) in 89% yield.

Metabolism

Not Available

Solubility in organics

Fairly soluble in ethanol (1.7 %), chloroform (1.5 %); slightly soluble in acetone (0.95 %); very slightly soluble in noctanol (0.069 %). Practically insoluble in water (< 0.01 %).