Clotrimazole (Canesten) is an approved anti-fungal drug. It comes in the form of a cream, a solution or a lozenge. It is manufactured by Bayer under the trade name Canesten, or is available in a generic formulation.

The cream is often used to treat mild fungal skin infections. The lozenge can be used as a treatment for oral candidiasis. Side-effects can include stomach upsets and abnormally high levels of liver enzymes. A cream combining clotrimazole and hydrocortisone, called Canesten HC, is used to treat seborrhoeic dermatitis.

The study ACTG 981, which enrolled 428 people, compared the effectiveness of fluconazole (Diflucan) 200mg per day and clotrimazole 50mg per day as anti-fungal prophylaxis, and found that fluconazole recipients developed fewer fungal infections^[1]. However, fluconazole and clotrimazole are of similar effectiveness in treating of thrush in the mouth, while clotrimazole lozenges are less effective than itraconazole (Sporanox) solution^[2][3][4].