Clotrimazole

Clotrimazole
Clinical data
Trade namesCalmYourself, Canesten (Bayer), Clotrimin, Desenex, Lotrimin, Tralen, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa682753
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: A
Routes of
administration
Topical, throat lozenge
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
  • CA: OTC[1]
  • US: OTC (topical), Rx-only (by mouth)
Pharmacokinetic data
BioavailabilityPoor absorption by mouth (lozenge), negligible absorption through intact skin (topical)
Protein binding90%
MetabolismLiver
Elimination half-life2 hours
Identifiers
IUPAC name
  • 1-[(2-Chlorophenyl)(diphenyl)methyl]-1H-imidazole
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.041.589
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC22H17ClN2
Molar mass344.84 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
Melting point147 to 149 °C (297 to 300 °F)
SMILES
  • Clc1ccccc1C(c2ccccc2)(c3ccccc3)n4ccnc4
InChI
  • InChI=1S/C22H17ClN2/c23-21-14-8-7-13-20(21)22(25-16-15-24-17-25,18-9-3-1-4-10-18)19-11-5-2-6-12-19/h1-17H Y
  • Key:VNFPBHJOKIVQEB-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y
  (verify)

Clotrimazole, sold under the brand name Lotrimin, among others, is an antifungal medication. It is used to treat vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, diaper rash, tinea versicolor, and types of ringworm including athlete's foot and jock itch. It is in the azole class of medications and works by disrupting the fungal cell membrane. It can be taken by mouth or applied as a cream to the skin or in the vagina.[2]

Common side effects of clotrimazole taken by mouth include nausea and itchiness. When it is applied to the skin, common side effects include redness and a burning sensation. In pregnancy, topical use, even in the vagina, is believed to be safe, nor is there evidence of harm by oral use, but the latter has been less well studied. Oral use requires greater care by those with liver ailments.[2]

Clotrimazole, originally known as BAY b 5097, was discovered in 1969.[3] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[4] It is available as a generic medication.[2] In 2021, it was the 273rd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 900,000 prescriptions.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Product monograph brand safety updates". Health Canada. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (8 February 2016). "Clotrimazole Monograph for Professionals". www.drugs.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  3. ^ Walker SR (2012). Trends and Changes in Drug Research and Development. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 109. ISBN 9789400926592. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016.
  4. ^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
  5. ^ "The Top 300 of 2021". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Clotrimazole - Drug Usage Statistics". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.