A report published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology found that a fixed dose calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate (CAL/BDP) cream appeared to be a “well-established, efficacious, and safe topical treatment” for patients with psoriasis, with extremely favorable patient acceptability characteristics.

According to the study’s lead author, Linda Stein Gold, MD, poor treatment adherence is a significant component of treatment failure in dermatology. In a European survey where 73% of patients did not adhere to a psoriasis treatment regimen, the most common reason for non-adherence was the greasy nature of the product. Similar studies also reported that products which are oily, stain cloths, are difficult to apply, or are dosed more than once daily all negatively impact patient adherence.

However, “CAL/BDP cream has the in-use characteristics of an easily spreadable cream, which absorbs rapidly and completely into the skin leaving no sticky feeling behind,” Dr. Gold noted of the study’s formulation. “It is anticipated that these qualities will result in increased patient adherence and consequently, improved real-world treatment outcomes,” she added.

The phase III multicenter study enrolled 796 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, as defined by the Physician Global Assessment (PGA) scale. Three groups were formed, CAL/BDP cream, CAL/BDP topical suspension (TS), and the vehicle lotion. Patients applied their designated treatment once daily for eight weeks.

The study found that the proportion of patients achieving PGA treatment success after eight weeks was statistically significantly greater for CAL/BDP cream (37.4%) compared to CAL/BDP TS (22.8%, p = 0.0001), and the vehicle lotion (3.7%, p = 0.0001). The CAL/BDP group also displayed marked differences in percentage change from baseline in mPASI, and proportion of patients who obtained mPASI75. Additionally, the CAL/BDP cream demonstrated superior treatment convenience over the TS, as rated by the patients.

The authors concluded that the fixed dose CAL/BDP cream formulation was a notable improvement, as it was significantly effective while directly addressing the factors that negatively affect patients’ adherence to treatment.

Source: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology