NP213

**NP213 (Novexatin®)** is a novel, synthetic, water-soluble cyclic antifungal peptide designed specifically for the topical treatment of **onychomycosis** (nail fungus). Modeled on host defense peptides (HDPs) from the innate immune system, it features a backbone-cyclized homopolymer of 7 L-arginine residues with a net positive charge of +7, enabling rapid nail penetration and fungicidal activity against dermatophytes like *Trichophyton rubrum*. NP213 disrupts the fungal cytoplasmic membrane via cationic charge-dependent permeabilization, achieving >3-log kill of spores and hyphae within 3-4 hours, outperforming agents like terbinafine in nail models. Developed by **NovaBiotics**, it requires only 28 days of daily topical application, shows no systemic absorption, and demonstrated 43-57% culture-negative rates at 180-360 days in phase IIa trials, with rapid cosmetic nail improvement.

Brand names

Novexatin