Patient and Physician Satisfaction with Calcipotriol and Betamethasone Dipropionate Aerosol Foam in the Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis on the Body

Improvements in Plaque Psoriasis Associated with Calcipotriol/Betamethasone Aerosol Foam Treatment: A Post Hoc Analysis of Non-interventional Studies and Clinical Experience

INTRODUCTION

Plaque psoriasis is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disease that is associated with extensive disease burden that often requires long-term therapy. Treatment of psoriasis with 4 weeks of the aerosol foam formulation of calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate (Cal/BD; Enstilar®, LEO Pharma) has been demonstrated to be effective, well tolerated, and associated with high patient satisfaction. Cal/BD foam is approved as a first-line treatment in multiple countries, where several non-interventional studies (NIS) have corroborated the beneficial efficacy and safety profiles determined in the randomized clinical trials. Heterogenicity in these NIS, however, prevents the use of a data pooling strategy for comparisons of effectiveness outcomes across different patient populations.

METHODS

Therefore, here, we report on a post hoc analysis of effectiveness data consolidated from six prospective NIS to discern any differences in improvement in signs and symptoms of psoriasis attributable to Cal/BD foam treatment across the countries. In addition, we provide real-world experience of clinicians with Cal/BD foam treatment, factoring in changes in usage since these NIS were performed in their local markets.

RESULTS

This post hoc analysis of Cal/BD foam NIS brings together data outside of randomized clinical trials from six countries to provide real-world evidence in 1388 patients showing that 4 weeks of Cal/BD foam is an effective and safe treatment option with quick onset of action for patients with psoriasis.

CONCLUSION

These results show that regardless of NIS location, Cal/BD foam remains a well-tolerated, efficacious option for patient care that could be used as a first-line topical therapy for mild-to-severe psoriasis.

Topical Treatment for the Management of Mild-to-Moderate Psoriasis: A Critical Appraisal of the Current Literature

Several comprehensive and updated guidelines are available on the management of psoriasis with systemic treatments. However, there is a lack of updates in recommendations and guidelines on topical treatments, particularly regarding the latest evidence and developments in treatment formulations. Consequently, a comprehensive literature review on this topic, considering the continuous evolution of knowledge and evaluation of the relevance of the available literature evidence, represents a current need to improve the topical management of psoriasis. This study critically appraises the available literature on all topical treatments of psoriasis from the past 20 years to address some relevant issues, such as the vehicle associated with the highest effectiveness, the best vehicle for improving patient adherence, and the best strategy in terms of efficacy and safety for long-term treatment. The greater effectiveness of the foam formulation was demonstrated for calcipotriene/betamethasone dipropionate (Cal/BD) administration compared with the gel and ointment. Without a direct comparison, matching-adjusted indirect comparison analyses support the superiority of the foam versus the cream overall. In addition, the reduced treatment period required by the Cal/BD foam (4 weeks) may favor this formulation over cream (8 weeks). The literature evidence, supported by a broad clinical experience, reported high rates of acceptability and adherence for the foam vehicle. A growing consensus is shared among dermatologists sustaining the proactive approach as the best option for the long-term topical treatment of psoriasis in adults. The Cal/BD foam is the only treatment for which the approved label allows biweekly maintenance use (proactive management), thus representing the first option for long-term topical treatment.

Short Term and Long-Term Efficacy of Calcipotriene/ Betamethasone Dipropionate Foam Combination

Psoriasis is a well-known chronic disease characterized by the development of erythematous, indurated, scaly, pruritic plaques on the skin with cycles of remission and symptom flare-ups. The management of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis has been more challenging since the Covid-19 pandemic as health care professionals have had to adapt to remote consultations for some patients, and patients have had to adapt to the changing health landscape. The rapid resolution of psoriasis symptoms especially those with a substantial impact on quality of life can improve patient satisfaction and adherence, making it an important factor in successful treatment. Cal/BD foam contributes to improved patient adherence and treatment outcome through its rapid action and superior efficacy versus Cal or BD monotherapy, Cal/BD ointment and gel and clobetasol cream in the short-term flare treatment of psoriasis. Moreover, the benefits of proactive long-term management of psoriasis compared to reactive management and its favourable safety profile are higher efficacy and a better health-related quality of life. Cal/BD foam should be considered an effective topical treatment for short-term flare treatment and long-term control of adult psoriatic patients.

Calcipotriene/betamethasone dipropionate foam: primary evidence supporting its use in patients with psoriasis vulgaris. A narrative review

Psoriasis vulgaris is a chronic, immune-mediated disorder, which has a substantial impact on all aspects of patients’ quality of life. In most patients, the disease is mild to moderate and is successfully treated with topical agents. The most common therapy involves a vitamin D₃ analogue (calcipotriene) in combination with a synthetic corticosteroid (betamethasone dipropionate). The aerosol vehicle (foam) with softening properties is another formulation of this combination drug, apart from ointment and gel, expanding the therapeutic options available to patients with psoriasis. The article describes the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of calcipotriene/betamethasone dipropionate foam. The results of the key randomised clinical studies investigating the efficacy, including patients’ quality of life and safety of the foam versus ointment, gel and either active ingredient in foam vehicle are presented. In addition, the results of a study on maintenance treatment with calcipotriene/betamethasone dipropionate foam as well as reports on real-world use of this medicine in patients with psoriasis, are discussed.

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.

Patient satisfaction with calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate cutaneous foam for the treatment of plaque psoriasis: The LION real-life multicenter prospective observational cohort study

Topical treatment is the mainstay for mild or moderate psoriasis, but patients are generally little satisfied. Calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate (Cal/BD) cutaneous foam has shown to improve signs and symptoms in plaque psoriasis patients. This study assessed patient's satisfaction with Cal/BD foam in a real‐life Italian dermatological clinical practice. A multicenter, 4‐week observational prospective cohort study enrolled, in 17 Italian dermatology clinics, adult patients with plaque psoriasis on the body and/or scalp. Treatment satisfaction was assessed by 9‐item Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM‐9), preference over previous treatments by Patient Preference Questionnaire (PPQ), and change in disease state by Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). Overall 256 patients were eligible, with a mean (SD) age of 55.6 (15.4) years, 59.4% were males. Psoriasis severity was mild in 52.0% of patients, moderate in 43.3%, and severe in 4.7%. Scalp involvement was present in 36.7% of patients. Previous antipsoriatic treatments had been received by 80.5% of patients. TSQM‐9 median (25th–75th percentile) scores were 83.3 (66.7–88.9) for effectiveness, 77.8 (66.7–88.9) for convenience, and 78.6 (64.3–92.9) for global satisfaction. Mean (SD) PASI value decreased from 7.3 (4.8) to 2.1 (2.7) after 4 weeks. More than 90% of patients previously treated for psoriasis evaluated the Cal/BD foam more effective, easier to use and better tolerated compared to previous topical treatments at PPQ. This observational study provides real‐life evidence of a high level of satisfaction with effectiveness and convenience of the Cal/BD foam in a cohort of plaque psoriasis patients, with an objective improvement in PASI.

Calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate foam demonstrates comparable efficacy to clinical trial data in the real world, improves patient satisfaction and is cost-effective

Real-world evidence studies are becoming increasingly important in providing insight into clinical effectiveness and safety, economic outcomes, patient-reported outcomes and health-related quality of life of treatments in the clinical setting. These studies also help to complement data reported in clinical studies. Fixed-dose combination calcipotriol 50 µg/g plus betamethasone dipropionate 0.5 mg/g cutaneous foam (Cal/BD foam) is a topical agent used for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. In clinical studies, Cal/BD foam has demonstrated a significantly greater efficacy and rapid onset of action compared with both single and combination formulations such as ointments and gels. To date, three observational studies have examined the real-world efficacy and safety of Cal/BD foam in clinical practice in the United States, Germany and Spain. Data gathered from these studies reinforce the positive findings reported in clinical studies assessing Cal/BD foam for the treatment of psoriasis and demonstrate improved patient satisfaction with Cal/BD foam. Using Cal/BD foam has been shown to be cost-effective based on results from randomised clinical trials and cost-effective analysis. As such, Cal/BD foam has the potential to lower treatment costs by reducing the need for some patients to progress to more expensive treatments, such as phototherapy and biologics. Cal/BD foam is therefore a cost-effective solution for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris that should be considered when prescribing topicals.

Advances in the Application of Natural Products and the Novel Drug Delivery Systems for Psoriasis

Psoriasis, an incurable autoimmune skin disease, is one of the most common immune-mediated disorders. Presently, numerous clinical research studies are underway, and treatment options are available. However, these treatments focus on improving symptoms of the disease and fail to achieve a radical cure; they also have certain toxic side effects. In recent years, natural products have increasingly gained attention because of their high efficiency and low toxicity. Despite their obvious therapeutic effects, natural products’ biological activity was limited by their instability, poor solubility, and low bioavailability. Novel drug delivery systems, including liposomes, lipospheres, nanostructured lipid carriers, niosomes, nanoemulsions, nanospheres, microneedles, ethosomes, nanocrystals, and foams could potentially overcome the limitations of poor water solubility and permeability in traditional drug delivery systems. Thus, to achieve a therapeutic effect, the drug can reach the epidermis and dermis in psoriatic lesions to interact with the immune cells and cytokines.

Calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate aerosol foam for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris: a review of real-world evidence (RWE)

Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated the advantages of an aerosol foam formulation of calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate (Cal/BD) in patients with psoriasis. In this review, we investigated whether such benefits could also be obtained in real-world clinical practice.Methods: PubMed was searched for studies reporting real-world data in patients with psoriasis treated with Cal/BD aerosol foam.Results: Three large real-world studies with Cal/BD aerosol foam were identified: a prospective non-interventional study from Germany, a medical chart review from the US, and a retrospective non-interventional study from Spain. Some key findings included the following: high levels of adherence to treatment (82-93%); after 4 weeks, about 50% of patients achieved complete/almost complete responses; at final assessment, 85-95% of patients were extremely satisfied/very satisfied/satisfied with Cal/BD aerosol foam; all healthcare providers were satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the efficacy of Cal/BD foam and they reported similar findings for symptom improvements (itch, pain, erythema/redness, flaking, and plaque thickness). Global ratings by investigators/healthcare providers for symptom control, overall efficacy and the emotional status of patients were also very high (75-100%).Conclusion: The results from real-world studies undertaken in diverse healthcare systems reinforce the positive findings reported in RCTs with Cal/BD aerosol foam in patients with psoriasis.