Most anti-fungal products currently available are based around fungistatic active ingredients – meaning that they merely slow down or inhibit the growth of dermatophytes. This approach relies on the skin being able to shed the inhibited dermatophytes, which are able to reach the end of their life expectancy but are not able to replicate.

 

The active ingredient of Lamisil^®AT and Lamisil Once^®, terbinafine, inhibits the enzyme squalene epoxidase, which is essential for the formation of ergosterol (a vital component of fungal cell membranes). Its fungicidal effect is dependant on the accumulation of intracellular squalene in lipid vesicles in the fungus cytoplasm. These numerous lipid droplets cause holes to form in the fungal cell membrane – quickly resulting in the death of the fungal cell.

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