January 31, 2019

Desoximetasone with and without phone reminders was associated with clinical improvement in both psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

Desoximetasone spray has demonstrated efficacy for treatment-resistant atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery.

This open-label, single-center study included 24 participants, 12 of whom had treatment-resistant atopic dermatitis and 12 of whom had treatment-resistant psoriasis. In each group, 6 participants were randomly assigned to desoximetasone 0.25% spray with phone reminders twice per day, and 6 were assigned to the spray without phone reminders. Baseline assessments included current medications and medical history. To assess severity of disease, the Pruritus Visual Analog Scale, Investigator’s Global Assessment, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, Eczema Area and Severity Index, and Total Lesion Severity Score were used. Results from visit to visit were compared using paired t-tests, whereas variances between the 2 treatment groups were assessed using a Wilcoxon 2-sample test.

Desoximetasone with and without phone reminders was associated with clinical improvement in both psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Statistically significant improvement was achieved among the psoriasis group with phone reminders, the psoriasis group without phone reminders in Total Lesion Severity Score and Pruritus Visual Analog Scale measures, and among those with atopic dermatitis in various assessments.

Limitations to this study included small sample size, a short time period of evaluation, and a lack of patient measures such as self-reported adherence.

The study researchers concluded that “[patients] with ‘treatment-resistant’ [psoriasis] and [atopic dermatitis] generally responded well to the use of desoximetasone spray in the trial setting. This may be due to better adherence in the study environment or patients’ preference for the spray vehicle. Patient reminders contributed to improved clinical outcomes in [psoriasis] and [atopic dermatitis] patients with ‘treatment-resistant’ disease.”

Disclosure: This project was funded by Taro Pharmaceuticals. Author SR Feldman reports financial associations with other pharmaceutical companies. For a full list of author disclosures, visit the reference.

Follow @DermAdvisor

Reference

Hogue L, CardwellLA, Roach C, et al. Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis “resistant” to topical treatment responds rapidly to topical desoximetasone spray [published online December 17, 2018]. J Cutan Med Surg. doi:10.1177/1203475418818082