Adult Patients With Moderate Atopic Dermatitis: Tacrolimus Ointment Versus Pimecrolimus Cream

The objective of this study was to compare the effi cacy and safety of tacrolimus ointment and pimecrolimus cream in adults with moderate atopic dermatitis (AD). A randomized, investigator-blinded, 6-week, multicenter study enrolled patients (≥16 years) with mild to very severe AD. Patients with moderate AD at baseline were analyzed. At study completion, tacrolimus ointment-treated patients had signifi cantly greater improvement in Eczema Area Severity Index score compared with pimecrolimus cream-treated pa- tients (59% versus. 43% reduction, respectively; P=.01). Signifi cantly more tacrolimus ointment-treated patients than pimecrolimus cream-treated patients improved by 1 or more grades on the Investigators’ Global Atopic Dermatitis Assessment (P<.02). A total of 5 pimecrolimus cream-treated patients discontinued the study early due to lack of effi cacy compared with no tacrolimus ointment- treated patients (P=.02). Overall, reported adverse events occurred at a similar frequency for both treatment groups. Tacrolimus ointment is more effective than pimecrolimus cream in the management of adults with moderate AD.