Patient Preference for Calcipotriene and Betamethasone Dipropionate Cream Versus Foam for the Topical Treatment of Psoriasis: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND: The well-established sequential use of topical calcipotriene and topical betamethasone dipropionate in combination has been shown to provide greater benefit than either monotherapy. A newer topical fixed combination formulation of calcipotriene 0.005% and betamethasone dipropionate 0.064% in a cream base (Cal/BD cream) is effective with high patient ratings for convenience and tolerability. The current study compares patient satisfaction between Cal/BD foam and Cal/BD cream formulations. Study Design and Patient Demographics: This is a single-use, split body, open label study involving 20 subjects. Ten subjects additionally had scalp psoriasis. Study treatments were applied by the investigator in a randomized manner and patients completed questionnaires to assess treatment preferences. FINDINGS: Both Cal/BD formulations provided rapid and significant improvement in symptoms of pruritus, stinging, burning, and pain; with no statistically significant difference in response between the 2 treatments. Overall, Cal/BD cream outperformed Cal/BD foam on several key measures for vehicle features and patient satisfaction. For non-scalp application, 55% of subjects preferred Cal/BD cream over Cal/BD foam. For the scalp, 60% of subjects preferred Cal/BD cream over Cal/BD foam. No adverse events were reported during the study. CONCLUSION: Results of this current study indicate high levels of patient satisfaction with Cal/BD cream and a preference for the cream base over foam for the treatment of body and scalp psoriasis.   J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(3): doi:10.36849/JDD.7165.