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Long-term safety and tolerability of pimecrolimus cream 1% and topical corticosteroids in adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.

Author(s): Luger TA, Lahfa M, Folster-Holst R, Gulliver WP, Allen R, Molloy S, Barbier N, Paul C, Bos JD

Affiliation(s): Universitatsklinikum Munster, Hautklinik, Muenster Germany. luger@uni-muenster.de

Publication date & source: 2004-06, J Dermatolog Treat., 15(3):169-78.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Multicenter Study; Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: This randomized, double-blind, multi-centre study compared the long-term safety and tolerability of pimecrolimus cream 1% and topical corticosteroids (TCS) in 658 adults with moderate-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). METHODS: Patients applied either pimecrolimus or TCS (i.e. 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide cream and/or 1% hydrocortisone acetate cream) twice daily to all affected areas until complete clearance or for up to 1 year. The study was approved by the institutional review board or ethics committee at each centre. RESULTS: A majority of patients treated with either pimecrolimus or TCS used the drug on a continuous basis over 1 year. In patients who had >30% of the body surface involved by AD, the incidence rate of all skin infections was significantly lower in the pimecrolimus group than in the TCS group (95% CI of the treatment difference: -25.3% to -3.4%). The most frequent application site reaction was burning (25.9% of patients on pimecrolimus and 10.9% on TCS), which was transient and mild-moderate in most cases. Three TCS-treated patients reported skin striae. There were no treatment-related serious or clinically significant systemic adverse events. Efficacy was better in patients on continuous TCS therapy, although patients completing the study were similarly well-controlled in both groups. About 42% of the pimecrolimus-treated patients were maintained for 1 year without TCS. CONCLUSION: Pimecrolimus demonstrated a favourable safety profile when used to treat adult patients with moderate-severe AD for up to 1 year. A significant proportion of patients could be maintained without TCS for a year.

Page last updated: 2006-01-31

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