The importance of vehicle properties to patients with atopic dermatitis

The properties of vehicle formulations may influence drug delivery, efficacy, and tolerance profiles of topical medications. Patient preferences vary and the importance of certain aesthetic attributes depend on the disease state, the site of application, and the length and extent of treatment, among other factors. Formulations that offer aesthetic advantages over traditional vehicles may improve patients' willingness to apply therapy as directed and therefore may affect the outcome of treatment. A participant preference study was conducted to determine if an aqueous gel (hydrogel) formulation of desonide would appeal to patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Before treatment adult participants with AD completed a questionnaire to assess their AD history and prior topical treatments and to rate the importance of topical vehicle attributes. Each participant then applied desonide hydrogel 0.05% to affected areas twice daily for 4 weeks. At the end of the treatment, participants were queried on the attributes of desonide hydrogel and how it compared with other vehicles previously used. Twenty-two participants with mild to moderate AD completed the study; 100% (22/22) of participants found desonide hydrogel to be easy to apply/use/spread, easy to use on hair-bearing skin, comfortable to use under makeup and/or cosmetics, suitable for use on multiple body areas, and stain free. Most participants reported that the product was soothing (82% [18/22]), did not dry the skin (96% [21/22]), disappeared quickly (82% [18/22]), was comfortable to wear under clothes (91% [20/22]), and was not greasy or shiny on skin (96% [21/22]).