Significant advertising, drug rep visits to doctor offices and discussion have taken place in the year since Tavaborole (Kerydin, Anacor Pharmaceuticals) became widely available.
Brian McCurdy wrote a story in Podiatry Today in July 2015 about Tavaborole.
The Story Says
“Tavaborole ‘holds significant promise’ in treating onychomycosis, says Kristine Hoffman, DPM, FACFAS. While noting that the mycologic and complete cure rates for Tavaborole are modest, Dr. Hoffman* says the medication still has significantly higher success rates in comparison to Ciclopirox 8% nail lacquer (Penlac).”
Our Take
The wrong benchmark is used. Comparing a product with roughly a 33% mycologic cure rate to one with 8% is deceiving. Patients desire higher cure rates.
| Tavaborole Efficacy Outcomes | Trial 1 | Trial 1 | Trial 2 | Trial 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Efficacy Variable | Tavaborole | Vehicle | Tavaborole | Vehicle |
| Complete cure | 6.5% | 0.5% | 9.1% | 1.5% |
| Complete or almost complete cure | 15.3% | 1.5% | 17.9% | 3.9% |
| Mycologic cure | 31.1% | 7.2% | 35.9% | 12.2% |
Our interpretation of the data:
- Not very high cure rate. Complete cure 6.5% to 9.1%! Almost complete cure is up to 17.9% with a higher drug dose. LASERS HAVE HIGHER CURE RATES.
- Too much work for a patient. 48 weeks of treatment to achieve these limited results. TWO LASER TREATMENTS LASTING LESS THAN 15 MINUTES EACH.
More information on Tavaborole is available on the FDA Website.
Summary
Many patients prefer a quick, drug-free treatment to resolve their ugly, unsightly nails. Lasers are effective and bring cash into your practice. You can give the money to the drug companies or grow your practice. It is your choice. Contact us to learn how you can add a laser to your practice.
