Clobetasol propionate foam, 0.05%

Clobetasol propionate foam (clobetasol foam), a new formulation of the superpotent corticosteroid, has anti-inflammatory, antipruritic and vasoconstrictive properties. It was reported that the absorption rate of clobetasol was greater from the foam than from the solution in cadaver skin. In patients with moderate to severe scalp psoriasis, topical application of clobetasol 0.05% foam twice daily for 2 weeks induced significant improvement of all signs and symptoms of the disease compared with placebo. Compared with clobetasol 0.05% solution, clobetasol foam demonstrated greater improvement of scaling after 2 weeks of treatment and after 2 weeks of follow-up. The investigator's global assessment rated 74% of patients in the clobetasol foam group to be clear or almost clear (90 to 100%) of scalp psoriasis compared with 10% of the placebo foam group. Adverse events at the application site of clobetasol 0.05% foam were limited to one case each of dry skin, eczema, and skin hypertrophy. Clobetasol foam 7 g/day for 2 weeks induced reversible suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in 3 out of 13 patients (methodology of assessment not provided).