Calcipotriene plus betamethasone dipropionate in aerosol foam formulation: will this effective treatment for mild-to-moderate psoriasis change clinical practice?

Long-term proactive management of psoriasis with calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate foam: an Italian consensus through a combined nominal group technique and Delphi approach

BACKGROUND

Although long-term management of psoriasis is paramount, this approach is challenging in clinical practice. In the recent PSO-LONG trial, a fixed-dose combination of betamethasone dipropionate (BD) and calcipotriol (Cal) foam applied twice a week on non-consecutive days for 52 weeks (proactive treatment) reduced the risk of relapse. However, the role of Cal/BD foam in the long-term management of psoriasis needs further clarifications. The ProActive Management (PAM) program, a nationwide Italian project, aims at reaching a consensus on the role of proactive management of psoriasis.

METHODS

A steering committee generated some statements through the nominal group technique (NGT). The statements were voted by an expert panel in an adapted Delphi voting process.

RESULTS

Eighteen statements were proposed, and the majority of them (14/18) reached a consensus during the Delphi voting. The need to provide long-term proactive topical treatment to reduce the risk of relapse for the treatment of challenging diseases sites or in patients where phototherapy or systemic therapies are contraindicated/ineffective was widely recognized. A consensus was reached about the possibility to associate the proactive treatment with systemic and biological therapies, without the need for dose intensification, thus favoring a prolonged remission. Moreover, the proactive treatment was recognized as more effective than weekend therapy in increasing time free from relapses. Approaches to improve adherence, on the other hand, need further investigation.

CONCLUSIONS

The inclusion in guidelines of a proactive strategy among the effective treatment options will be a fundamental step in the evolution of a mild-moderate psoriasis therapeutic approach.

Sub-population analysis of patients with plaque psoriasis treated with calcipotriol/betamethasone aerosol foam; effectiveness and patient satisfaction, according to baseline disease severity and prior psoriasis treatment experience, in a Greek population

Fixed combination calcipotriol/betamethasone (Cal/BD) aerosol foam has been shown to be effective in psoriasis treatment in clinical trials, but real-world evidence is currently sparse. The real-world CELSUS study in Greece found that Cal/BD aerosol foam treatment was effective and associated with satisfaction in psoriasis patients. Patients from the CELSUS study (N = 400) were stratified by baseline disease severity according to physician's global assessment (PGA) score (mild vs. moderate vs. severe) and by previous psoriasis treatment (naïve vs. treatment-experienced). Proportions of patients achieving treatment success (clear/almost clear [PGA 0/1]) after 4 weeks' treatment with Cal/BD aerosol foam were reported for each subgroup. Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) and patient-reported itch, itch-related sleep loss, scaling, dry skin, and erythema numerical rating scores were reported by subgroup. At baseline, 216 (54%) patients were systemic-or-topical psoriasis treatment-naïve and 184 (46%) were treatment experienced. By disease severity, there were 135 versus 89 patients with mild, 69 versus 83 with moderate and 12 versus 12 with severe disease in the treatment-naïve versus treatment-experienced groups, respectively. In the treatment-naïve group, treatment success was achieved by 72.6%, 56.5%, and 66.7% of patients with mild, moderate, and severe disease, respectively, while the proportions in the treatment-experienced group were 60.7%, 42.2%, and 25%, respectively. Reduction from baseline in psoriasis symptoms was observed in all patient groups. The greatest reductions were observed in treatment-naïve patients with severe disease. Clinically relevant benefits were observed with Cal/BD aerosol foam in psoriasis patients, regardless of prior treatment-experience and disease severity at baseline.

Long-term maintenance treatment of psoriasis: the role of calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate aerosol foam in clinical practice

Most patients with psoriasis present with localized mild-to-moderate disease. In this case, the application of topical treatments in the first-line setting is recommended in most cases.Among different topical options, the fixed-dose combination of betamethasone dipropionate (BD) and vitamin D analogue (Cal) aerosol foam (Enstilar®, Leo Pharma) is approved as first-line topical therapy for the treatment of psoriasis in USA and the EU, due to its high efficacy and its favorable administration scheme.The PSO-LONG was the first trial to report on the long-term efficacy and safety of the Cal/DB foam treatment for the proactive management of psoriasis and now, the indications of Cal/BD foam included its use in the psoriasis maintenance treatment. However, the precise role of this treatment and the potential therapeutic schemes in the long-term management of psoriasis need further clarification.This Position Paper, authored by a group of Italian Expert Dermatologists, critically discusses the long-term management of psoriasis with Cal/BD foam in clinical practice. In particular, the biological rationale in the proactive treatment with Cal/BD foam and current evidence regarding this therapeutic approach are presented, along with its application also in patients with moderate-to-severe disease, difficult-to-treat lesions, or within combination regimens. In addition, strategies to improve adherence to long-term treatment of psoriasis are discussed.

Calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate aerosol foam in the treatment of psoriasis: new perspectives for the use of an innovative topical treatment from real-life experience

The fixed-dose combination of calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate (Cal/BD foam) in aerosol foam formulation is approved for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, and showed prompt onset of action, persistent efficacy and safety both in clinical trials and in real-life studies. The use of Cal/BD foam and its future perspectives of use were discussed during the symposium "Go beyond with topical treatment in psoriasis", held at the 2019 World Congress of Dermatology. We herein present the key topics of the symposium, namely the importance of Cal/BD foam in overcoming poor adherence, the possibility of a proactive (long-term) management of psoriasis and its potential role beyond mild psoriasis. Furthermore, proper adherence to treatment is crucial to achieve optimal clinical outcomes. In clinical trials and real-life experiences, Cal/BD foam has proven to have a fast onset of action and a good benefit/risk ratio due to increased efficacy and similar safety profile compared with other Cal/BD formulations. Given its chronic nature, psoriasis requires a long-term management, also due to the presence of underlying 'silent' inflammation that persists beyond resolution of flares. Cal/BD foam appears a favorable treatment for long-term management, and a specific trial is ongoing to investigate this new proactive approach. Lastly, evidence both from clinical studies and real-life experiences supports the use of Cal/BD foam in patients with moderate-to-severe disease, and this approach also showed greater effectiveness over some non-biologic systemic treatments. Therefore, Cal/BD foam may be considered as the new gold standard in topical therapy for patients with plaque psoriasis.