Cantharidin 0.7% topical solution (YCANTH®) in molluscum contagiosum: a profile of its use
Declarations
Funding The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.
Authorship and conflict of interest A. Zhuang-Yan and H. A. Blair are salaried employees of Adis International Ltd/Springer Nature and declare no relevant conflicts of interest. All authors contributed to this article and are responsible for its content.
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Additional information about this Adis Drug Review can be found here.
Abstract
YCANTH® (cantharidin) topical solution, 0.7%, hereafter referred to as cantharidin 0.7% topical solution, a vesicant drug-device combination product, is an effective option for molluscum contagiosum in patients aged 2 years and older. Approved in the USA for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum, its single-use applicator device allows for the precise topical application of a standardized formulation of cantharidin 0.7% solution to molluscum contagiosum lesions. In two phase 3 clinical trials, topical application of cantharidin 0.7% solution to molluscum contagiosum lesions once every 21 days as needed (up to a maximum of four applications) resulted in a significantly higher proportion of patients with complete clearance of molluscum contagiosum lesions than vehicle over a period of 84 days. Cantharidin 0.7% topical solution was generally well tolerated. The most common adverse reactions at the application site were vesicles, pruritus, pain, erythema, and scab, which were generally mild or moderate in severity. No serious adverse events related to treatment were reported in clinical trials.
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