Top 5 dermatology reads for May

The FDA’s warning to health care professionals to avoid prescribing Nizoral oral tablets to treat skin and nail infections, as it includes serious health risks, was among May’s most-read articles on Healio.com/Dermatology.

Other widely read articles included research finding that patients with alopecia areata had a decreased risk for stroke, and that papular eruptions and other mucocutaneous findings were linked to confirmatory testing for Zika virus infection:

FDA: Nizoral tablets linked to patient death, unapproved uses in skin, nail infections

The FDA has issued a warning to health care professionals to avoid prescribing Nizoral oral tablets to treat skin and nail fungal infections, as it includes a risk for serious liver damage, adrenal gland problems and harmful interactions with other medications.

The FDA approved label changes to Nizoral (ketoconazole, Janssen) oral tablets in 2013 to reflect the risks and remove the indications for treating skin and nail fungal infections, the agency stated in a safety alert. There has been one patient death reported to the agency since 2013 due to liver failure associated with oral ketoconazole prescribed to treat a fungal infection of the nails, according to the alert. Read more

Patients with alopecia areata had decreased risk for stroke

Patients with alopecia areata had a decreased risk for stroke, and a trend toward decreased risk for myocardial infarction, although not statistically significant, according to recently published study results.

Researchers conducted a propensity-matched retrospective analysis of patients in the Partners Healthcare Research Patient Data Repository between Jan. 1, 2000 and Jan. 1, 2010, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Read more

Mucocutaneous findings, lesional skin associated with Zika virus infection

Papular eruptions and other mucocutaneous findings were linked to confirmatory testing for Zika virus infection, according to study results recently published in JAMA Dermatology.

Researchers observed a man, aged 44 years, who returned from a vacation in Puerto Rico and experienced headache and lethargy within 3 days of his return. One day later, an erythematous eruption appeared on his arms, dorsal side of the hands and palms, which became more apparent and spread to his trunk 1 day later. Itching was not significantly noted, and the patient’s eyes appeared “bloodshot.” Read more

Lilly announces Taltz available in US to treat psoriasis

Eli Lilly and Company announced in a press release that Taltz injection 80 mg/mL for treating moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis is now available by prescription order through specialty pharmacies in the United States.

Taltz (ixekizumab) was approved in March by the FDA for treating moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systematic therapy or phototherapy. Read more

Success rates vary when switching to another anti-TNF therapy for psoriasis

Although some patients show improved quality of life when switching to a second anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment for psoriasis after initial treatment failure with another anti-tumor necrosis factor agent, the rate of success varied by study, according to results from a recently published systematic review.

“Switching patients who are not responding to treatment with an anti-[tumor necrosis factor (TNF)] agent to another TNF antagonist can be considered as a therapeutic option that may produce clinically meaningful responses in a substantial proportion of patients, with improved quality of life,” Paul S. Yamauchi, MD, PhD, from the division of dermatology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues wrote. Read more