Cantharidin Plantar Wart Treatment

Cantharidin Plantar Wart Treatment


Cantharidin is an extract of a Black Blister Beetle and other sorts of blister beetles it is often known as Beetle Juice. When rubbed on the skin it causes an immunological response and causes a blister. The blistering that this causes is extremely painful this is why Cantharidin Plantar Wart Treatment is used.

Dilute concentrations have been used by dermatologists to remove Plantar Warts but it often causes skin reactions and has been listed as a “problem drug” by dermatologists. It has no higher cure rate than any other form of treatments however some studies suggest patients suffer higher rates of significant complications including lymphangitis and refractory lymphedema.


cantharidin plantar wart treatment

The Extract from blister beetles cantharidin can be used as a plantar wart treatment.



Cantharidin Plantar Wart Treatment

And approval by the American FDA


There has not been a great amount of research into Cantharidin Plantar Wart Treatment it is therefore worth noting that the FDA (food and drug administration) in the USA do NOT approve Cantharidin Plantar Wart Treatment and in fact actively go after anyone who markets its use for the treatment of Plantar Warts in the USA. I would strongly recommend avoiding this one !


Cantharidin Plantar Wart Treatment

And the TGA  (Therapeutic Goods Administration)

It is also worth noting that the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration requires all travelers to obtain a permit before importing Cantharidin into Australia.



Black Blister Beetle Epicauta pennsylvanica
Cantharidin was first isolated in 1810 by Pierre Robiquet, a French chemist then living in Paris, from Lytta vesicatoria. Robiquet demonstrated that cantharidin was the actual principle responsible for the aggressively blistering properties of the coating of the eggs of that insect, and established that cantharidin had very definite toxic and poisonous properties comparable in degree to that of the most violent poisons known in the 19th century, such as strychnine. It is an odorless and colorless solid at room temperature. It is secreted by the male blister beetle and given to the female during mating. Afterwards the female beetle will cover its eggs with it as a defense against predators. The complete mechanism of the biosynthesis of cantharidin is currently unknown.


More information on

Cantharidin Plantar Wart Treatment



Medical uses

Diluted solutions of cantharidin can be used as a topical medication to remove warts and tattoos and to treat the small papules of Molluscum contagiosum.

Medical risks for humans

Its potential for adverse effects has led it to being included in a list of “problem drugs” used by dermatologists and emergency personnel.

When ingested by humans, the LD50 is around 0.5 mg/kg, with a dose of as little as 10 milligrams being potentially fatal. Ingesting cantharidin can initially cause severe damage to the lining of the gastrointestinal and urinary tract, and may also cause permanent renal damage. Symptoms of cantharidin poisoning include haematuria, abdominal pains, and rarely priapism.

The level of cantharidin in blister beetles can be quite variable: Among blister beetles of the genus Epicauta in Colorado, E. pennsylvanica contain approximately 0.2 mg, E. maculata contain 0.7 mg, and E. immaculata contain 4.8 mg per beetle; males also contain higher levels than females.

The extreme toxicity of cantharidin makes any use as an aphrodisiac highly dangerous because it can easily cause death. As a result, it is illegal to sell (or use) cantharidin for this purpose in many countries.

Medical risks for animals

Horses are highly sensitive to cantharidin: the LD50 for horses is approximately 1 mg/kg of the horse’s body weight. Horses may be accidentally poisoned when fed bales of fodder with blister beetles in them.


Topical treatment with cantharidin appears to have some effect in an animal model of cutaneous leishmaniasis. In addition to topical medical applications, cantharidin and its analogues may have activity against cancer cells.  Laboratory studies with cultured tumor cell lines suggest that this activity may relate to inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A



Cantharidin Plantar Wart Treatment

Cantharidin Plantar Wart Treatment

For Enquiries Please Call

9592 9000

Blog Posts


Brighton Podiatry
1 Male Street,
Brighton, Vic 3186
Phone: (03) 9592 9000