Chapter 17 Drug-induced skin phototoxicity: lessons from the fluoroquinolones

Drug-induced skin phototoxicity is a well recognised cause of abnormal skin photosensitivity. This chapter gives a general overview of the history, the range of drugs and the types of skin reactions associated with photoxicity. The fluoroquinolone antibiotics have become the most important group of pharmaceutical phototoxins of the last decade. The response of regulatory authorities to the finding that fluoroquinolones photosensitise skin carcinogenesis in mice has led to increased examination of phototoxic potential during drug development. The validation of simple in vitro screening methods and an increased knowledge of structure-phototoxic activity relationships may, in the future, lead to a reduced number of phototoxic drugs reaching the market. © 2001 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.