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Calcipotriol Plus Betamethasone Dipropionate Formulation Effective in Scalp Psoriasis: Presented at AAD

By Jill Stein

SAN FRANCISCO -- March 10, 2009 -- A scalp formulation combining calcipotriol plus betamethasone dipropionate markedly decreases itching related to scalp psoriasis, researchers reported here at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 67th Annual Meeting.

Knud Kraghalle, MBChB, Marselisborg Center, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark, and colleagues presented results from 312 patients treated with the 2-compound formulation or a calcipotriene scalp solution.

Participants in the trial were aged 18 years or more and had scalp psoriasis of at least moderate severity that covered at least 10% of the scalp with at least 1 clinical sign (redness, thickness, or scaliness) that was considered at least moderate and the other 2 signs at least slight by the investigator.

Patients were randomised to treatment with a scalp solution containing calcipotriol 50 mcg/g plus betamethasone dipropionate 0.5 mg/g once daily or a scalp solution containing calcipotriol alone twice daily to the affected psoriatic lesions on the scalp for up to 8 weeks.

Patients assessed the extent of itching at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 8.

Results, presented on March 7, showed that the number of patients reporting itching on the Skindex-16 scale was significantly lower in the 2-compound group compared with the calcipotriol-alone group at all time points (week 2: P < .001; week 4: P < .001; week 8: P = .044). This was also true for scalp burning (week 2: P < .001; week 4: P < .001; week 8: P = .002) and hurting at weeks 2 and 4 (week 2: P = .003; week 4: P < .001).

After 2 weeks of treatment, a significant effect on itching was achieved in the 2-compound group compared with baseline (P < .001), and this reduced level of itching remained constant throughout the treatment period. This effect was also true for symptoms of burning and hurting.

After 8 weeks, a complete absence of itching was more than twice as likely in the 2-compound group. Thus, 57.5% of the 2-compound group reported no itching versus 26.7% of the control group (P < .001).

The results demonstrate that the 2-compound scalp formulation leads to a significant decrease in itching, which may be important for patient satisfaction and treatment adherence in scalp psoriasis, Dr. Kraghalle and his associates said.

Funding for this study was provided by LEO Pharma. Calcipotriol is known as calcipotriene in the United States.

[Presentation title: A Calcipotriol Plus Betamethasone Dipropionate Scalp Formulation Significantly Reduces Itching in Scalp Psoriasis. Abstract P3343]

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