A large 12-month extension study of an 8-week trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of triple combination (TC) cream in melasma patients previously treated with TC cream or one of its dyads.
Author(s): Torok H, Taylor S, Baumann L, Jones T, Wieder J, Lowe N, Jarret M, Rich P, Pariser D, Tschen E, Martin D, Menter A, Weiss J
Affiliation(s): Trillium Creek Dermatology, Inc, Medina, OH 44526, USA. helenmtorok@aol.com
Publication date & source: 2005-09, J Drugs Dermatol., 4(5):592-7.
Publication type: Clinical Trial; Multicenter Study; Randomized Controlled Trial
This was a 12-month extension of a randomized, investigator-blinded, multicenter, 8-week trial with triple combination (TC) cream in facial melasma. A total of 585 patients were enrolled in the study and 569 patients received study medication. Three hundred eighty-nine patients completed 6 months of treatment and 327 patients completed 12 months of treatment. TC cream demonstrated a favorable safety profile: only 14 patients (2.5%) discontinued the study due to treatment-related adverse events (AEs). The 2 cases of skin atrophy were mild and did not lead to withdrawal. From the 23 cases of mild telangiectasia, only 2 resulted in discontinuation. All others were transient. Results confirmed those of a previous smaller study, with both physicians and patients reporting clinically significant improvements in melasma. By month 12, 80% of patients had lesions completely cleared or nearly cleared. Once daily application of TC cream applied intermittently over a long period is a safe, tolerable, and effective treatment for moderate to severe melasma of the face.
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