Evaluation of a nonsteroidal topical cream in a guinea pig model of Malassezia furfur infection

Abstract 

Malassezia furfur is an important causal factor for seborrheic dermatitis, and topical antifungal therapy is an effective treatment approach. This study assessed the antifungal activity of Promiseb Topical Cream (Promius Pharma, LLC, Bridgewater, NJ), a novel nonsteroidal prescription medical device cream, in the M furfur-infected skin model for guinea pigs. Guinea pigs (N = 28) were divided into 4 groups and infected with M furfur for 7 days. On day 8, the first group of animals was sacrificed. The scrapings of inoculation site on each animal were tested for the presence of the organism, and the skin was excised for quantitation of M furfur. The second group was left untreated. The remaining 2 groups were treated with one of the test agents (Promiseb) and the positive control product (ciclopirox olamine cream, 0.77%; Loprox, Medicis, Scottsdale, AZ) each once daily for 3 days. At the end of treatment, animals were sacrificed and analyzed similarly to the first group. M furfur was recovered from all animals in the first group. Visual signs of infection, such as erythema and edema, were not observed in the infected animals at the end of the study. In the animals treated for 3 days with the test agents, the M furfur counts were reduced to below the limit of quantitation. Both test agents were equally effective in substantially reducing the density of M furfur compared with the untreated control.