Phase II management of papulopustular rosacea with 2% green tea extract (-EGCg) in a hydrophilic cream: A placebo-controlled, double-blind study, Tanweer Syed, MD, PhD, San Francisco, CA, United States; Seyed Ahmad, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States; Amit Bhakhri, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
Objective: We sought to evaluate the clinical efficacy, tolerability, safety, and beneficial effects of 2% polyphenone (-EGCg, epigallocatechin gallate) incorporated in a hydrophilic cream to treat and manage papulopustular rosacea.
Methods: Preselected subjects (N = 100; 37 men/63 women) aged 25 to 50 years having visible signs of papules/pustules were sequentially randomized into two parallel groups. An identical precoded tube containing 50 g (either active drug or placebo) was allocated to each subject with instructions on how to topically apply the trial cream 2 times a day for 4 weeks. Cure was defined as absence of complete clinical signs of treated inflammation. Photographic and optical techniques were used both at baseline and on a weekly basis.
Results: By the end of the study, marked beneficial improvement was observed in both groups. Breaking the code revealed that 2% polyphenone in a hydrophilic cream yielded statistically significantly higher reduction in mean inflammatory lesion count than placebo. The most frequently assessed signs of rosacea were papules/pustules (38), erythema (34), and telangiectasia (28). Using the Investigator’s Global Assessment, therapeutic success in terms of a clear, minimal, or mild result was documented in 72% of patients treated with 2% polyphenone (-EGCg) cream (P <.0001).
Conclusion: The study substantiates that 2% polyphenone (-EGCg) in a hydrophilic cream is safe, tolerable, and significantly more beneficial in contributing superior clinical efficacy than placebo in the treatment and management of papulopustular rosacea.
Dr. Syed is also developing another cream for treating Vitiligo:
P2718 Management of Vitiligo With 5% Polyphenone (-EGCG) in a Hydrophilic Cream:A Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Study
Tanweer Syed, MD, PhD, San Francisco, CA, United States, Amit K. Bhakhri, Raza Aly, MD, PhD, MPH, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States, Wendy Wong, MD, Syed Skin Care, Inc., San Francisco, CA, United States
Author disclosure: SYED SKIN CARE Inc is 25% owned by Dr Tanweer A. Syed. 75% sponsored by SYED SKIN CARE Inc.
Poster Discussion Session P168, American Academy of Dermatology, 64th Annual Meeting, March 3-7 2006, San Francisco.
Supplement to Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology, March 2006, Volume 54, Number 3.
[Update:] please be aware the Dr. Syed has been charged for posing as a doctor.
Syeds green tea cream may or may not work but the customer testimonals on his website are clearly bogus. They all claim to be from customers in the US and yet they are all phrased in the odd english-as-a-second-language way that characterises the rest of his site. Read for yourself and you will pick it up immediately. This unfortunately seriously undermines his credibility.
However, like all rosaceans i’m desperate for a miracle cure and so have had a 10% green tea cream made up by a homoeopathic chemist in sydney. They made it within an hour and charged @$20. I’ll now use this twice a day for 6 weeks to mirror the so-called trials that Syed has done and see if i get results.
Hi Rhiannon, please let us know how you get on with your custom cream. Good Luck !
Hi Rhiannon, last year I purchased this cream
from Dr Syed. The cream did seem to show slight improvements in the control of my Rosacea at 30 days using twice daily however costing $180 to land here in Sydney I found the cost prohibitive to continue the trial. The sunscreen properties promoted on the website were false at I received sunburn multiple times during my trial.
Let us know of your results please?
Ive been using Dr Syed’s green tea cream for about 5 months now. I noticed a significant improvement within about 2 weeks, at first the skin got worse, but started improving alot after about a week. I was also prescribed antibiotics by my doctor but stopped taking them once I’d started the green tea cream. The cream has helped, but I dont seem to notice much improvement recently. He keeps telling me it will show up soon, as photos Ive sent him have shown him the collagen is stabilising under the top layer of the skin. Im getting abit impatient though, as initially he told me i would be cured within 3 weeks of using the cream. Still it is better than taking antibiotics, and Ive had compliments on my skin recently. but it still gets inflamed and itchy, so I know its not cured. And he says not to worry if it itches as that can be a sign it is healing up. he also sold me some green tea capsules which he said will help speed up the skin repair process. Im persevering with it because I dont really want to take antibiotics.
“Dr. Syed” has been arrested..
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/02/phony_san_francisco_dermatolog.php
Dr. Syed is in jail now.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/04/MNAS1BS0FO.DTL