Topical Therapy for Fungal Nail Infections (Onychomycosis)

Invention The invention comprises a two-step topical treatment for fungal nail infections combining (a) enzymatic digestion of dermatophyte hyphae by lysing enzymes to expose the growing tips and (b) application of a new highly effective fungicide (a derivative of the non-specific protease inhibitor Phenyl Boronic Acid (PBA).
The Need Onychomycosis is a stubborn, progressive, recurring fungal nail infection that, although superficial, can cause significant health problems. Its prevalence increases sharply with age, reaching over 30% in the 60-70 year old age group. There are many systemic and topical antifungal agents on the market with various modes of action. Most systemic agents target the sterol biosynthetic pathway, which is a major disadvantage with regard to resistance. Furthermore, with treatment courses as long as one year, the usefulness of systemic agents for onychomycosis is greatly limited by compliance issues; harmful side-effects and problematic drug interaction profiles also hinder their use. Around 20-40% of treated patients do not respond to currently available treatments. More than ever, novel topical agents are urgently required as the prevalence of onychomycosis rises with the aging population.
Potential Applications Topical treatment for onychomycosis
Advantages o Topical application - limits systemic toxicity - safe

o Combination therapy with the potential as stand alone therapy

o Novel mechanism - effective against resistant strains
Stage Early R&D stage. Results indicate activity against the dermatophyte Trichphyton rubrum, which most often causes the most prevalent type of fungal nail infection.
Patent Pending
Tech Transfer Officer Ms. Irit Ben-Chlouch Office: +972-3-6406601 Fax: +972-3-6406675 Mail: [email protected]

Inventor(s): Amihay Freeman, Rina Segal

Type of Offer: Licensing



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