Ketoconazole (topical)

FDA label, Medimetriks Pharmaceuticals, Inc., topical, effective 2024-12-05. Full label on DailyMed

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Quoted from the FDA label. Product labels differ by manufacturer and change over time; confirm against the label for the product you are using.

Azole Antifungal

Dosing in kidney impairment

This label has no separate kidney-impairment dosing section. Check warnings and clinical pharmacology in the full label.

Contraindications

4. CONTRAINDICATIONS None. None.

Safety data

Reported adverse events (FAERS)

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Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System via openFDA

Liver injury (LiverTox)

A

Likelihood score A: Well established cause cause of clinically apparent liver injury.

Ketoconazole is an imidazole fungicidal agent with a very broad spectrum of activity against many fungal species that is used for treatment of superficial and systemic fungal infections. Ketoconazole is a well documented cause of clinically apparent acute drug induced liver injury and is no longer recommended as a first line antifungal agent.

ABCDEA: well known cause; E: unlikely cause. [HD]: high doses only.

Source: LiverTox: Ketoconazole (NIDDK, public domain)Chapter updated May 17, 2017

Pregnancy and lactation

Pregnancy

8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary There are no available data on ketoconazole foam, 2% use in pregnant women to identify a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. No reproductive studies in animals have been performed with ketoconazole foam, 2%. In animal reproduction studies with pregnant mice, rats and rabbits both embryotoxic and developmental effects (structural abnormalities) were observed following oral dosing of ketoconazole during organogenesis.

Assuming equivalent systemic absorption of topical and oral ketoconazole doses and a ketoconazole foam, 2% maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 8 grams (equivalent to 160 mg ketoconazole), embryotoxic effects were observed at 0.8 to 2.4 times the MRHD and developmental effects were observed at 4.8 times the MRHD [see Data ] . The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively.

Data Animal Data The animal multiples of human exposure calculations are based on body surface area (BSA) comparisons of oral doses administered to animals and a ketoconazole foam, 2% maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 8 grams (equivalent to 2.67 mg ketoconazole/kg/day for a 60 kg individual or 98.8 mg ketoconazole/m 2 /day). Embryofetal development studies have been conducted in mice, rats and rabbits with orally administered ketoconazole.

When orally administered to mice on gestational days 6 through 18 (covering the period of organogenesis), ketoconazole was embryotoxic (25 mg/kg and higher; 0.8 times the MRHD based on BSA comparisons) with a high incidence of resorptions, increased number of stillbirths and delayed parturition. Delays in maturation were also observed. There was no evidence of maternal toxicity or malformations at up to 50 mg/kg (1.5 times the MRHD based on BSA comparisons). No treatment related developmental effects were observed at 10 mg/kg (0.3 times the MRHD based on BSA comparisons).

In the presence of maternal toxicity in rats, orally administered ketoconazole was both embryotoxic (40 mg/kg and higher; 2.4 times the MRHD based on BSA comparisons), including increased resorbed fetuses and stillbirths, and teratogenic (80 mg/kg and higher; 4.8 times the MRHD based on BSA comparisons), including syndactylia, oligodactylia, waved ribs and…

Breastfeeding (LactMed)

Because there is little published experience with ketoconazole or levoketoconazole during breastfeeding and its potential liver enzyme inhibition and liver toxicity, other agents are preferred. The manufacturers recommend that mothers taking ketoconazole or levoketoconazole avoid breastfeeding during treatment and for 1 day after the last dose. Use of ketoconazole shampoo or topical use on the skin by the mother poses little to no risk to the breastfed infant. However, topical use on the breast or nipples should be avoided in nursing mothers because of possible oral ingestion by the infant and the availability of safer alternatives. Only water-miscible cream or gel products should be applied to the breast because ointments may expose the infant to high levels of mineral paraffins via licking.

Alternatives LactMed suggests considering:
Source: LactMed: Ketoconazole (NICHD, public domain)Revised May 15, 2023

Supply and cost

Drug shortage status

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Recalls (last 24 months)

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Therapeutic equivalence (Orange Book)

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Price ladder

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