A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a natural anti-inflammatory for treatment of rosacea
Wingfield Rehmus, MD, MPH, June Kim, MD, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States; Jenny Murase, MD, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States; Dale Kern, MS, Nu Skin Enterprises, Provo, UT, United States
Background: Rosacea is a chronic acneiform disorder of undetermined etiology characterized by both vascular and papulopustular components involving primarily the face. There are no topical treatments currently available that demonstrate a marked impact on the erythematous and telangiectatic components of rosacea. Therapies for rosacea, including oral and topical antibiotics, isotretinoin, azelaic acid, and topical sulfur lotions, treat the papules and pustules of rosacea but have minimal impact on erythema and telangiectases. Surgical ablation is the only treatment for the telangiectases and rhinophyma of acne rosacea.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a novel antiinflammatory in decreasing rosacea-associated erythema. Prior anecdotal evidence had demonstrated a significant effect.
Methods: Forty volunteers with rosacea were enrolled in this 12-week study. The study consisted of a screening visit, baseline visit (day 1), and assessments at day 1, week 2, week 4, week 8, and week 12. Both male and female patients, 18 to 70 years of age, with a confirmed diagnosis of rosacea stage I or II by Plewig and Kligman classification of rosacea, were enrolled in the study. Each subject was randomized and received one of the two study creams: active or placebo (vehicle) cream. Subjects applied the study cream to his or her face twice daily. All patients were given a moisturizer with sunlight protection factor (SPF) 15, which could be applied 30 minutes after application of the study cream. No other skin care products or emollients were allowed for the duration of the study. Standard quantitative and qualitative assessments of rosacea were performed at each scheduled clinic visit.
Results and conclusions: Final results and conclusions will be presented.
Author disclosure: Salary support through clinical trials sponsored by Nu Skin Enterprises. 100% supported by Nu Skin Enterprises.
Trawling the Nu Skin web site didn’t reveal the name of the treatment being referred to.
Poster Discussion Session P552, 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.
