Piroctone olamine (INN; also known as piroctone ethanolamine) is a compound sometimes used in the treatment of fungal infections.[1] Piroctone olamine is the ethanolamine salt of the hydroxamic acid derivative piroctone was first synthesized in 1979 by Schwarzkopf-Henkel (Germany).
It is often used in anti-dandruff shampoo as a replacement for the commonly used compound zinc pyrithione which was banned in the EU in 2021 because of concerns for environmental toxicity.
It is structurally similar to ciclopirox and pyrithione, containing a substituted pyridine (pyridinone) group which inhibits ergosterol synthesis.