Cal/BD foam safe, efficacious in psoriasis treatment in patients with skin of color

A calcipotriene and betamethasone foam formulation was well tolerated and efficacious in treating plaque psoriasis in patients with skin of color, according to a study.

“Although psoriasis is more prevalent in populations of European ancestry, recent data show substantial rates of psoriasis in populations with skin color,” Jacqueline Liu, BS, of the department of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and colleagues wrote.

“Even after resolution of lesions, patients with darker skin types often have dyspigmentation that can be at least as bothersome as the original psoriatic lesions,” the researchers continued.

A single center, randomized, double-blind study evaluated a calcipotriene and betamethasone (Cal/BD) foam 0.005%/0.064% in patients with plaque psoriasis with Fitzpatrick skin types IV through VI as compared with vehicle.

At 4 weeks, four of the 19 patients in the Cal/BD treatment group achieved clear or almost clear skin with at least a 2-grade improvement in IGA score, compared with none of the five patients in the vehicle arm.

Additionally, 12 patients in the treatment arm achieved a 50% reduction in PASI score at week 4 compared with none of those in the vehicle arm.

Dyspigmentation was observed in the treatment arm, whereas mean changes in melanin index in the treatment group suggested an increase in pigmentation.

No serious adverse events were observed. Mild adverse events such as erythema, edema, dryness, erosion or burning and stinging occurred in five individuals in the active treatment group and one in the vehicle group.

The small sample size of the study is its major limitation, and the authors suggest larger studies to confirm the data.

“In this small study investigating a specific subset of the psoriasis population — patients with Fitzpatrick skin types IV to VI — calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate 0.005%/0.064% aerosol foam was safe and modestly efficacious,” the authors wrote. “To further elucidate unique aspects of psoriasis treatment in non-white patient population (including psoriasis-associated pigment alterations), future studies with larger sample sizes and longer treatment endpoints are warranted.”