Calcipotriene Plus Betamethasone Dipropionate Foam for Mild Psoriasis: Pooled Results from Three Randomized Trials

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis vulgaris is not easy to manage, even when mild. Knowledge of the efficacy of most topical therapies in this population is limited. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of calcipotriene 0.005% plus betamethasone dipropionate 0.064% (Cal/BD) foam in patients with mild psoriasis. METHODS: Post hoc analysis was performed on pooled data for subjects with mild psoriasis at baseline from 2 Phase 3 and 1 Phase 2 clinical trials. All subjects applied Cal/BD foam or vehicle foam once daily for at least 4 weeks. Efficacy assessments included treatment success (defined as IGA=0), mPASI, BSA, and the composite IGA BSA score. RESULTS: Of the 848 subjects, 164 had mild psoriasis at baseline. Within this subpopulation of mild subjects, Cal/BD foam demonstrated significant efficacy over vehicle at week 4 in terms of the proportion of subjects achieving complete clearance of visible lesions (IGA=0). Significant improvements were also observed for mPASI, BSA, and IGA BSA score. LIMITATIONS: These post hoc analyses need to be confirmed with prospective studies. CONCLUSION: Once-daily Cal/BD foam for 4 weeks demonstrated effectiveness in treating subjects with mild psoriasis, a population in which demonstration of treatment success can be difficult, because of the requirement for complete clearance of visible disease. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02132936, NCT01866163, and NCT01536938 J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(8):822-828. doi:10.36849/JDD.5743.