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Clobetasol propionate shampoo 0.05% and calcipotriol solution 0.005%: a randomized comparison of efficacy and safety in subjects with scalp psoriasis.

Reygagne P, Mrowietz U, Decroix J, de Waard-van der Spek FB, Acebes LO, Figueiredo A, Caputo R, Poncet M, Arsonnaud S

Centre Sabouraud, Paris, France.

BACKGROUND: Scalp involvement in psoriatic patients represents a common issue. Treatment of the hairy skin requires adequate pharmaceutical formulations; hence, a new specific shampoo formulation of clobetasol propionate 0.05% was developed by Galderma R&D, Inc. METHODS: For this multicenter, randomized, investigator-masked, parallel group study, 151 subjects with moderate to severe scalp psoriasis were randomized to 4 weeks of treatment with clobetasol propionate shampoo or calcipotriol solution. RESULTS: Clobetasol propionate demonstrated significantly superior efficacy to calcipotriol solution (total severity score: mean difference 0.51, 95% CI 0.05-0.97, p = 0.028; global severity score: mean difference 0.43, 95% CI 0.08-0.78, p = 0.016). Adverse events were more common in the calcipotriol group than in the clobetasol propionate shampoo group. Telangiectasia and skin atrophy did not differ significantly between treatments; however, a burning sensation was significantly more common in the calcipotriol solution group. CONCLUSIONS: Short contact therapy of scalp psoriasis with this new shampoo formulation of clobetasol propionate was significantly more effective and better tolerated than calcipotriol solution for the treatment of scalp psoriasis.

Published 17 May 2005 in J Dermatolog Treat, 16(1): 31-6.
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