Onychomycosis is a chronic fungal infection of the toe and fingernails, causing discomfort and inconvenience. About 80% of cases affect the toenail. It is the third most common fungal skin infection in the world¹. Often occurring in patients who also suffer from Athlete's Foot, onychomycosis is most commonly caused by the fungus Trichophyton rubrum, which is frequently found in the communal areas such as swimming pools, gymnasiums, dormitories etc.

The symptoms include the nail becoming flaky and discoloured. The fungus feeds on skin and nail keratin, and as a result the nail can become detached from the nail bed, thus destroying the nail's ability to perform its function properly.

Onychomycosis is a disease which does not resolve on its own; you need to treat it to cure it. There is evidence to suggest that most sufferers in the UK, whilst they know they have something, don't know what it is called, don't know that it is treatable and have not, therefore, consulted their doctor.

Some estimates indicate that as many as 5.5 million people in the UK and up to 25 million people in the US may suffer from onychomycosis².

Onychomycosis can be treated orally and topically. Oral therapies, have shorter treatment times and better cure rates than topical, but have the disadvantage of higher potential risk of unwanted side effects. ProStrakan's research suggests that most sufferers would prefer a topical treatment and that there is, therefore, a gap in the market for a safe, effective, topical product.

1. Schlefman B.S. Onychomycosis: A compendium of facts and a clinical experience. Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery. 1999. 38 (4): p290-p302.

2. Roberts D. T. et al. Fungal infection of the nail. 2nd Edition. Mosby-Wolf Medical Communications. 1999. p57-p59.