In vitro activity of sertaconazole.

The activity of 7-chloro-3-[1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl) ethoxy-methyl]benzo[b]thiophene (sertaconazole, FI 7045, CAS 99592-32-2), a new topical antifungal, was studied in vitro against several infecting organisms. The results obtained show that sertaconazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal against yeasts (C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. pseudotropicalis, C. krusei, Trichosporon and Cryptococcus), dermatophytes (Microsporum, Trichophyton and Epidermophyton), opportunistic filamentous fungi (Aspergillus) and Gram-positive bacteria. The MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) values for the fungistatic activity were between 0.35 and 5.04 micrograms/ml for yeasts and between 0.24 and 2 micrograms/ml for dermatophytes; even partial activities (IC25) against these organisms were obtained at concentrations 10 times lower than those mentioned. At concentrations superior to MIC (MFC between 0.5 and 16 micrograms/ml), sertaconazole exhibited fungicidal activity.