Pharmacy Guide
Patient leaflets and SmPCs, drug interaction checker, official dosages and NHS pharmacy opening hours — all in one place.
Pharmacy Guide
Patient leaflets and SmPCs, drug interaction checker, official dosages and NHS pharmacy opening hours — all in one place.
Warticon Cream
⚠ This medicine appears to have been discontinued
The electronic medicines compendium (emc) no longer publishes a Summary of Product Characteristics for this product, which usually means it is no longer marketed in the UK. The patient leaflet below is kept for reference, but the product may not be available.
If you were prescribed this medicine, other products containing Podophyllotoxin may still be available. Do not stop your treatment — ask your pharmacist or GP what to use instead.
What it is and what it is used for
for Warticon Cream contains a medicine called podophyllotoxin. This is a plant extract which belongs to a group of medicines called 'antivirals'. Warticon Cream is used to treat genital warts. It is used for warts on the penis in men or external warts on the vagina in women. 2.
What you need to know before you take it
e Warticon Cream Do not use Warticon Cream if:
- you are allergic (hypersensitive) to podophyllotoxin or any of the other ingredients of Warticon Cream (listed in section 6)
- your warts are on areas of broken/damaged or bleeding skin
- you are already using another medicine containing podophyllotoxin. Warnings and Precautions Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine if:
- your warts cover an area bigger than 4 centimetres (approximately the size of a postage stamp). You may need to have this medicine applied by a nurse/doctor in a clinic. Warticon Cream is only to be used on the affected skin. Do not take Warticon Cream by mouth. Do not apply Warticon Cream to warts on the inside of the penis, vagina or rectum. Warticon Cream should only be applied to warts on the outside (external) skin. Avoid applying Warticon Cream to healthy skin surrounding the wart. Avoid getting Warticon Cream in your eyes as it may cause irritation. If you accidentally get Warticon Cream in your eyes rinse immediately with plenty of water and see a doctor. Do not put a dressing (such as a plaster) over the top of the area treated with Warticon Cream. ➔ Check with your doctor if you think any of these may apply to you.
What to avoid while using Warticon Cream
- It is advisable to avoid sex during treatment with Warticon Cream. You should wait until your warts have gone and your skin has healed
- Genital warts are contagious. You can give them to, or get them from, a sexual partner. ➔ If you do have sex, you must use a condom to help prevent the spread of genital warts and to protect your partner from coming into contact with podophyllotoxin (since it is irritant). Other medicines and Warticon Cream Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using any other medicines, have recently used, or might use other medicines. This includes medicines bought without a prescription. Children The use of Warticon Cream is not recommended for children under 18 years as use in this age has not been established. Pregnancy and breast-feeding Warticon Cream is not recommended for use during pregnancy.
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant
- Use a reliable method of contraception to prevent pregnancy, while you are using Warticon Cream
- If you do become pregnant during treatment with Warticon Cream, tell your doctor. Breast-feeding is not recommended during treatment with Warticon Cream. Discuss with your doctor whether you choose to breast-feed or to use podophyllotoxin. Important information about some of the ingredients in Warticon Cream Warticon Cream contains butyl hydroxyanisole (E320), sorbic acid, stearyl and cetyl alcohols which may cause local skin reactions (e.g.contact dermatitis). Butyl hydroxyanisole may also cause irritation to the eyes and mucous membranes. Warticon Cream also contains methyl and propyl parahydroxybenzoates, E218 and E216, which may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed). 3.
How to take it
Warticon Cream Always use Warticon Cream exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. Using Warticon Cream
- Apply Warticon Cream twice a day, in the morning and evening (every 12 hours) for 3 days.
- Do not apply any cream for the next 4 days. This completes one treatment course.
- When you apply Warticon cream, after two or three days you may notice mild irritation of the areas treated. This shows that Warticon Cream is starting to work. However, Warticon cream can cause severe skin reactions. If this occurs, stop using Warticon Cream and seek medical attention. See 'Possible side effects' in section 4 for further information.
- If you still have any warts remaining 7 days after you started using the cream, repeat the treatment course (twice a day for 3 days followed by 4 days where you do not use the cream).
- A maximum of 4 treatment courses may be applied.
- If any warts remain after 4 treatment courses consult your doctor. How to apply Warticon Cream 1. Wash the affected areas with soap and water. Dry the area gently with a clean towel. 2. Using a fingertip, apply Warticon Cream to cover each wart. Use only enough cream to cover each wart. 3. Rub the cream into the wart. Be careful not to get the cream onto healthy skin. If this happens, wash the cream off with soap and water. 4. Wash your hands thoroughly. 5. Make sure you have screwed the lid back on tightly.
If you get Warticon Cream in your eyes or if you swallow it
- If you get Warticon Cream in your eye, rinse the eye thoroughly with water and talk to your doctor.
- If you accidentally get Warticon Cream in your mouth, rinse at once with water.
- If you accidentally swallow some of the cream see your doctor or go to hospital straight away. Take the tube of cream with you so that the doctor knows what you have swallowed. If you use more Warticon Cream than you should If you accidentally use too much cream, wash the cream from the treatment area immediately and see a doctor. If you forget to use Warticon Cream Apply Warticon Cream as soon as you remember. If it is nearly time for your next dose, wait until then. Do not use a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. 4.
Possible side effects
Like all medicines, Warticon Cream can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop using Warticon Cream and seek medical attention:
- severe burning, stinging, pain, bleeding, itching or swelling of the treated skin. If these symptoms occur, wash Warticon Cream from your skin with soap and water immediately. ➔
Contact your doctor as soon as possible.
Very common side effects These may affect more than 1 in 10 people:
- wearing away of the top layers of skin, application site irritation including redness, itching, burning sensation Other side effects with frequencies that cannot be estimated from the available data include:
- allergic reaction, pain, swelling, bleeding
- damage to or loss of the top layer of skin, weeping wound
- skin ulcer, scab, skin discoloration, dry skin, blister. These effects can occur on the area of skin where you use the cream. Reporting of side effects If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via (see details below). By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine. United Kingdom the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard. Ireland HPRA Pharmacovigilance, Earlsfort Terrace, IRL – Dublin 2; Tel: +353 1 6764971; Fax: +353 1 6762517. Website: www.hpra.ie; E-mail: [email protected] 5.
How to store it
Warticon Cream
- Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
- Do not use Warticon Cream after the expiry date which is stated on the tube and carton (after "EXP:"). The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
- Warticon Cream does not require any special storage conditions.
- Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help protect the environment.
6.
Contents of the pack and other information
What Warticon Cream contains
- The active substance is podophyllotoxin 0.15% w/w (1.5 miligram per gram of Warticon Cream).
- The other ingredients are: purified water, methyl parahydroxybenzoate (E218), propyl parahydroxybenzoate (E216), sorbic acid, phosphoric acid, stearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, isopropyl myristate, liquid paraffin, trigylcerides – medium chain, butyl hydroxyanisole (E320), macrogol – 7 stearyl ether, macrogol – 10 stearyl ether. What Warticon Cream looks like and contents of the pack Warticon Cream comes in tubes containing 5 grams of a white cream.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer Marketing Authorisation Holder: Phoenix Labs Suite 12, Bunkilla Plaza, Bracetown Business Park, Clonee, County Meath, Ireland Manufacturer: Delpharm Bladel BV Industrieweg 1, 5531 AD Bladel, The Netherlands OR Phoenix Healthcare Limited Unit 31, 2nd Avenue, Cookstown Industrial Estate, Dublin 24, D24 TP60, Ireland OR LABORATORI FUNDACIÓ DAU Pol. Ind. Consorci Zona Franca. c/ C, 12-14 08040 Barcelona Spain
[Only the site responsible for batch release will be listed on the PIL included in the pack].
Other formats: If this leaflet is difficult to see or read or you would like it in a different format, please contact: Phoenix Labs, Suite 12, Bunkilla Plaza, Bracetown Business Park, Clonee, County Meath, Ireland. This medicinal product is authorised in the Member States of the EEA under the following names: Ireland: Warticon 0.15% w/w Cream Spain: Wartec Crema The Netherlands: Wartec, crème 1,5 mg/g United Kingdom: Warticon 0.15% w/w Cream This leaflet was last revised in January 2023.
PL 35104/0023 PA 1113/017/001 Warticon is a registered trade mark of Phoenix Labs.
Frequently asked questions about Warticon Cream
How do I take Warticon Cream?
Warticon Cream comes as cream. Always follow the dose your doctor or pharmacist has given you, and read the leaflet that comes with the medicine.
What is the active substance in Warticon Cream?
The active substance in Warticon Cream is podophyllotoxin.
Where does this information come from?
This leaflet reproduces the patient information leaflet approved for Warticon Cream, as published on the electronic medicines compendium (emc). The version printed inside your medicine’s packaging is the one that applies to you.
Can I get Warticon Cream without a prescription?
Whether a medicine is available over the counter or on prescription only depends on its licence. Check the leaflet, or ask your pharmacist — they can tell you straight away.
About this leaflet
The text above reproduces the patient information leaflet approved for this medicine, restructured for easier reading.
- Source: electronic medicines compendium (emc), Datapharm
- Active substance: podophyllotoxin
- Official document: view the original leaflet on emc →
⚕For healthcare professionals — Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)Full SmPC: dosage, interactions, contraindications, warnings+
4.1. Therapeutic indications
Route of administration: Topical
For the topical treatment of condylomata acuminata affecting the penis or the external female genitalia.
4.2. Posology and method of administration
The affected area should be thoroughly washed with soap and water, and dried prior to application.
Using a fingertip, the cream should be applied twice daily morning and evening (every 12 hours) for 3 consecutive days using only enough cream to just cover each wart. The cream should then be withheld for the next 4 consecutive days.
Application to the surrounding normal tissue should be avoided.
Residual warts should be treated with further courses of twice daily applications for three days at weekly intervals, if necessary for a total of 4 weeks of treatment.
Hands should be washed thoroughly after application.
Paediatric population
The safety and efficacy of topical podophyllotoxin have not been established in children under the age of 18.
4.3. Contraindications
Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1.
Open or bleeding wounds.
Concomitant use with other podophyllotoxin containing preparations.
4.4. Special warnings and precautions for use
Where the area of treatment is greater than 4 cm2, it is recommended that treatment takes place under the direct supervision of a healthcare professional.
Avoid applying the cream to warts occurring on mucous membranes of the genital area (including the urethra, rectum and vagina).
Avoid applying the cream to surrounding healthy tissue.
Avoid contact with eyes. Should the cream accidentally come into the eye, the eye should be thoroughly rinsed with water and medical advice sought.
Occlusive dressings should not be used on areas treated with the cream.
Local irritation may occur on the second or third day of application associated with the start of wart necrosis. In most cases, the reactions are mild. If severe local skin reactions occur (bleeding, swelling, excessive pain, burning, itching) the cream should be washed immediately from the treatment area with mild soap and water, treatment discontinued and the patient advised to seek medical advice.
Warticon Cream is not recommended during pregnancy or in women of childbearing potential not using contraception (see section 4.6).
It is recommended that patients refrain from sexual intercourse while treating warts with the cream and until the skin has healed. If a patient does engage in sexual intercourse, a condom must be used.
This cream contains:
• methyl and propyl parahydroxybenzoate which may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed).
• sorbic acid, stearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol which may cause local skin reactions, (e.g. contact dermatitis).
• butyl hydroxyanisole which may cause local skin reactions (e.g.contact dermatitis), or irritation to the eyes and mucous membranes.
4.5. Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction
None presently known.
4.6. Fertility, pregnancy and lactation
Pregnancy
There are limited data from the use of podophyllotoxin in pregnant women.
Although there is very limited systemic absorption from topically applied podophyllotoxin, antimitotic products such as podophyllotoxin are known to be embryotoxic. Warticon Cream is not recommended during pregnancy or in women of childbearing potential not using contraception.
Breastfeeding
There is insufficient information on the excretion of topically applied podophyllotoxin in human milk.
A risk to the newborns/infants cannot be excluded.
A decision must be made whether to discontinue breastfeeding or to discontinue/abstain from podophyllotoxin therapy taking into account the benefit of breastfeeding for the child and the benefit of therapy for the woman.
4.7. Effects on ability to drive and use machines
None presently known.
4.8. Undesirable effects
The frequency of adverse reactions listed below is defined using the following convention: very common (≥ 1/10); common (≥ 1/100, < 1/10); uncommon (≥ 1/1,000, < 1/100); rare (≥ 1/10,000, < 1/1,000); very rare (< 1/10,000); not known (cannot be estimated from the available data). Within each frequency grouping, undesirable effects are presented in order of decreasing seriousness.
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders
Very Common: Skin erosion, application site irritation (including erythema, pruritus, skin burning sensation)
Post-marketing data
The following adverse drug reactions are based on post-marketing reports. Since these reports are from a population of uncertain size and are subject to confounding factors, it is not possible to reliably estimate their frequency, however in reality systemic reactions are rarely seen.
Immune system disorders
Not known: Application site hypersensitivity
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders
Not known: Skin ulcer, scab, skin discoloration, blister, dry skin
General disorders and administration site conditions
Not known: Application site pain, swelling, application site bleeding
Injury, poisoning and procedural complications
Not known: Caustic injury, excoriation, wound secretion
Reporting of suspected adverse reactions
Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.
4.9. Overdose
While serious systemic effects have not been reported with the recommended dosage of topical podophyllotoxin, topical overdosage would be expected to increase systemic absorption of the drug and increase the potential for systemic effects, e.g. altered mental state and bone marrow suppression. Following oral ingestion, podophyllotoxin may also cause severe gastroenteritis.
Treatment
If topical overdosage occurs, podophyllotoxin should be washed immediately from the treatment area and symptomatic and supportive therapy initiated.
Treatment of oral podophyllotoxin poisoning is symptomatic and should include supportive care.
Further management should be as clinically indicated or as recommended by the National Poisons Centre, where available.
🇷🇴 Known in Romania as
Medicines sold in Romania with the same active substance: Cunoscut în România ca
- CONDYLINE prescriptionPODOPHYLLOTOXINUM · skin / topical
Same active substance. The strength, the form and whether you need a prescription can differ. Always ask a pharmacist before you switch. Romanian medicines in the UK →
🇵🇱 Known in Poland as
Medicines sold in Poland with the same active substance: W Polsce znany jako
⚠ Same active substance, but a different pharmaceutical form (for example a gel instead of a tablet). Not interchangeable — ask a pharmacist.
- CondylinePodophyllotoxinum · taken by mouth
Same active substance. The strength, the form and whether you need a prescription can differ. Always ask a pharmacist before you switch. Polish medicines in the UK →
💬 Ask about this leaflet
Ask anything about Warticon Cream. The assistant answers only from this leaflet — if the leaflet does not cover it, it will say so. It does not give medical advice.
Answers come from the patient leaflet published on the electronic medicines compendium (emc). They are not medical advice. Ask a pharmacist or your GP if you are unsure. For urgent help call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.