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Imiquimod: a review of off-label clinical applications

Consuelo V David1, Hong Nguyen, Gary Goldenberg

  • 1University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology : JDD
|November 5, 2011
PubMed

The immunomodulatory characteristics and topical application of imiquimod (IQ), a toll-like receptor 7 agonist, have lead to extensive off-label therapeutic trials. Off-label use is not uncommon in dermatology. However, clinicians must make informed decisions to ensure safe and effective implementation when standardized protocols are lacking. We present the highest level of clinical evidence for each off-label application of IQ, summarize management steps, treatment regimens, and results. We hope consolidation of this information will facilitate implementation of informed and evidence-based clinical decisions. Forty-six off-label applications were reported. Treatments were generally applied in the same manner, tailored to induce an inflammatory response and reduced with the development of adverse reactions. The efficacy of imiquimod ranged from promising to suboptimal compared to standard treatments and protocols. Clinicians who choose to use IQ off-label should have a firm understanding of the extent an application has been studied and how to manage adverse events.

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