Pimecrolimus inhibits post inflammatory cytokones

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AAAAI: Pimecrolimus Help Prevent Skin Flares of Atopic Dermatitis

By Jill Stein

Special to DG News

NEW YORK, NY -- March 5, 2002 -- New findings identify a potential

role for pimecrolimus as maintenance therapy for atopic dermatitis.

The new data, from three clinical trials, were presented here today

at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy,

Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI).

Dr. Lawrence Eichenfeld, with the Children's Hospital and Health

Center at the University of California - San Diego, reviewed the

results of three randomized, double-blind, controlled, 12-month

trials examining three separate patient populations with mild to

severe atopic dermatitis -- infants between three and 23 months,

children and adolescents between two and 17 years of age, and adults

older than 17 years.

These trials assessed a new pimecrolimus treatment strategy that uses

emollients, pimecrolimus, and topical steroids for any uncontrolled

flares. In these trials, randomized patients applied emollients for

dry skin and either pimecrolimus cream or vehicle cream twice daily

at the earliest sign or symptom of atopic dermatitis until complete

or near complete resolution. Patients in both groups used a mid-

potency topical corticosteroid to treat any disease flare not

controlled by either emollients and pimecrolimus or emollients and

vehicle.

In all three studies, roughly twice as many pimecrolimus-treated

patients were managed for six months with no flares and required no

topical corticosteroids compared to those in the vehicle group. This

relationship was true irrespective of the baseline severity of atopic

dermatitis.

Overall, 71 percent of infants in the pimecrolimus group experienced

no flares versus 32 percent of the vehicle group. Of

children/adolescents, 61 percent of the pimecrolimus group

experienced no flares versus 34 percent of the vehicle group. In

adults, 45 percent of the pimecrolimus group experienced no flares

versus 18 percent of the vehicle group.

The study also found no statistical differences in the rates of

adverse events between the two treatment groups in any of the

studies.

Pimecrolimus is a steroid-free topical cream that inhibits the

production of inflammatory cytokines by activated T cells and other

inflammatory effector cells via calcineurin inhibition.