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Published on: July 11, 2013
Proactive treatment of atopic dermatitis in adults with 0.1% tacrolimus ointment
A Wollenberg1, S Reitamo, G Girolomoni
1Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.
Background:
Long-term treatment for atopic dermatitis (AD) using low dose, intermittent, topical anti-inflammatory agents may control acute disease and prevent relapses. This 12-month, European, multicentre, randomized study investigated whether the proactive use of 0.1% tacrolimus ointment applied twice weekly can keep AD in remission and reduce the incidence of disease exacerbations (DE).
Methods:
During the initial open-label period, 257 adults with AD applied 0.1% tacrolimus ointment twice daily (b.i.d.) for up to 6 weeks to affected areas. When an Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) score of
Results:
Proactive tacrolimus 0.1% ointment application significantly reduced the number of DEs requiring substantial therapeutic intervention (median difference 2; P < 0.001; Wilcoxon rank sum test), the percentage of DE treatment days (median difference: 15.2%; P < 0.001; Wilcoxon rank sum test) and increased the time to first DE (median 142 vs 15 days; P < 0.001; stratified log-rank test). The adverse event profile was similar for the two treatment approaches.
Conclusion:
A 12-month, twice weekly proactive tacrolimus ointment application was an effective treatment in most study patients which prevented, delayed and reduced the occurrence of AD exacerbations
