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Addition of topical pimecrolimus to once‐daily mid‐potent steroid confers no short‐term therapeutic benefit in the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis; a randomized controlled trial
Author(s) -
Spergel J.M.,
Boguniewicz M.,
Paller A.S.,
Hebert A.A.,
Gallagher P.R.,
McCormick C.,
ParneixSpake A.,
Hultsch T.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2007.08001.x
Subject(s) - pimecrolimus , medicine , atopic dermatitis , fluticasone propionate , calcineurin , eczema area and severity index , corticosteroid , randomized controlled trial , topical steroid , regimen , concomitant , dermatology , potency , transplantation , biochemistry , chemistry , in vitro
Summary Background Combination therapy with pimecrolimus cream 1%, a topical calcineurin inhibitor (TCI), and fluticasone propionate cream 0·05% (FP), a mid‐potency topical corticosteroid, may have a synergistic effect for treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) because their mechanism of action differs. Objectives To assess the efficacy of concomitant pimecrolimus twice daily/FP once daily vs. vehicle twice daily/FP once daily in patients with severe AD. Methods An exploratory, 2‐week, double‐blind, randomized, within‐patient study was conducted ( n = 45). Two target areas of similar severity, size and location were assessed. Assessments included the modified Eczema Area and Severity Index (0–12 scale) (primary variable), localized investigator global assessment (0–4 scale) and Patients’ Self‐Assessment of Disease Severity (0–4 scale). Results Data for all variables were similar for the TCI/FP and vehicle/FP treatments. Conclusions The efficacy observed for treatment of severe AD flares with this TCI/FP combination regimen was equivalent to that of vehicle/FP.