Podofilox Gel

Dosage form: gel
Drug class:Topical keratolytics

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Jan 24, 2022.

Podofilox Gel Description

Podofilox is an antimitotic drug which can be chemically synthesized or purified from the plant families Coniferae and Berberidaceae (e.g. species of Juniperus and Podophyllum). Podofilox Gel 0.5% is formulated for topical administration. Each gram of gel contains 5 mg of podofilox in a buffered alcoholic gel containing alcohol, glycerin, lactic acid, hydroxypropyl cellulose, sodium lactate, and butylated hydroxytoluene.

Podofilox has a molecular weight of 414.4 daltons, and is soluble in alcohol and sparingly soluble in water. Its chemical name is [5R,-(5α, 5aβ, 8aα, 9α]-5,8,8a,9-tetrahydro-9-hydroxy-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl) furo[3',4':6,7]naphtho-[2,3,-d]-1,3-dioxol-6(5aH)-one.

Podofilox has the following structural formula:

Podofilox structural formula

Podofilox Gel - Clinical Pharmacology

Mechanism of Action

Treatment of anogenital warts with podofilox results in necrosis of visible wart tissue. The exact mechanism of action is unknown.

Pharmacokinetics

In systemic absorption studies in 52 patients, topical application of 0.05 mL of an ethanolic solution containing 0.5% podofilox to external genitalia did not result in detectable serum levels. Applications of 0.1 to 1.5 mL resulted in peak serum levels of 1 to 17 ng/mL one to two hours after application. The elimination half-life ranged from 1.0 to 4.5 hours. The drug was not found to accumulate after multiple treatments1.

Clinical Studies

In the first multicenter clinical study in 326 patients with anogenital warts, Podofilox Gel 0.5% and its vehicle were applied in a double-blind fashion to comparable patient groups. Of the 26...