Source: Dermatology  |  Posted 9 years ago

Cyclosporine A dosing independent of body weight is as safe and effective as is conventional weight-dependent dosing for short-term treatment of severe psoriasis.

Researchers at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Christan Albrecht University, Kiel, and Novartis Pharma, all in Germany, and Basel, Switzerland, noted that weight-dependent treatment of psoriasis with cyclosporine A was well established but had recently been reported as unnecessary in treating atopic dermatitis.

That led the researchers to investigate the efficacy and safety of cyclosporine A micro-emulsion given in a new weight-independent protocol and to compare it to a weight-dependent regimen for severe psoriasis.

The researchers also investigated the duration of disease remission after intermittent treatment of psoriasis with cyclosporine A.

One hundred and twenty two adult patients with severe plaque-type psoriasis (Psoriasis Severity Activity Index of 12 or more) were recruited into this study which comprised two treatment periods.

Period 1 was a randomised parallel-group comparison of daily cyclosporine A 100-300 mg. weight-independent or 1.25-5.0 mg/kg weight-dependent for 12 weeks.

Period 2 was a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled extension of treatment to patients who had achieved more than 75% psoriasis recovery in period 1. Treatment in period 2 was continued with the last effective dose in period 1 or placebo three times weekly for a further 12 weeks.

In period 1, creatinine increase (2.7