Rapid and effective itch relief using calcipotriol plus betamethasone dipropionate foam in patients with psoriasis
Recommended Citation
Jalili A, Lebwohl M, Stein Gold L, Andersen SB, Jensen KL, and Thaci D. Rapid and effective itch relief using calcipotriol plus betamethasone dipropionate foam in patients with psoriasis. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 2019; 12(5):S28-S29.
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
10-2019
Publication Title
J Clin Aesthet Dermatol
Abstract
Background/Objective: Itch is common in psoriasis, regardless of disease severity, and is bothersome to many patients, adversely affecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and sleep. Topical fixed-dose combination calcipotriol 50μg/g plus betamethasone dipropionate 0.5mg/g cutaneous foam (Cal/BD foam) has demonstrated superior efficacy and favorable tolerability versus Cal or BD alone and versus Cal/BD in gel and ointment formulations in patients with psoriasis. Recently, Cal/BD foam demonstrated good itch relief, comparable to BD foam alone and superior to Cal foam alone. Steroid monotherapy is perceived as the gold standard in itch relief. This pooled analysis evaluated the efficacy of Cal/BD foam on itch and itch-related sleep loss, as well as Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and timing relative to effect on visible symptoms, versus foam vehicle (FV), through four weeks of treatment. Methods: Data from three Phase II/III trials (NCT01536886, NCT01866163, NCT02132936) of Cal/ BD foam versus FV and active comparators in patients with psoriasis aged 18 years or older with mild-to-severe disease were pooled. For itch-related analyses, only patients with baseline (BL) itch Visual Analog Scale (VAS) greater than 40 were analyzed. For endpoints at Days 3 and 5, only Phase III studies provided patient data. Efficacy endpoints included proportion of patients achieving itch reduction greater than 40 (according to VAS, range 1-100) or 70-percent-or-greater improvement in itch/itch-related sleep loss at Day 3, Day 5, Weeks 1, 2, and 4, or 75-percent improvement in the (excluding head) modified Psoriasis Area Severity Index (mPASI75) from BL at Weeks 1, 2, and 4. Results: Overall, 837 patients were included in the pooled analysis; 37 patients had BL itch VAS=0 (mean mPASI'±SD: 5.76'±3.06) and were subsequently excluded (Cal/BD foam, n=610; FV, n=190). Of that, 776 patients (97.0%) had data available at Week 4; there were no systematic reasons for discontinuation. Additionally, 484 had BL itch VAS greater than 40 (mean mPASI'±SD: 7.83'±5.32). We found no correlation between itch VAS score and mPASI at BL (R2=0.021). In patients with a BL itch VAS greater than 40, the proportion of patients achieving itch VAS reduction greater than 40 increased through four weeks with active treatment versus FV (Cal/ BD foam: Day 3: 41.3% [p=0.05], Day 5: 57.5% [p=0.005], Week 1: 60.1%, Week 2: 70.1%, Week 4: 83.0% [p
Volume
12
Issue
5
First Page
S28
Last Page
S29