What can be gleaned from the study design that may potentially
be clinically relevant? Super-potent TCS remain as a central
component of the treatment armamentarium for plaque psoriasis
including all ranges of severity.9-12 However, judicious use with an
appreciation of both their therapeutic benefits and limitations is
vital in order to achieve successful treatment outcomes, including
understanding of how to manage vehicle selection, potency, and
the specific disease state being treated. In the case of plaque
psoriasis, dermatology providers have learned to utilize agents
with higher potency ranking to optimize initial control and then to
adjust treatment based on the clinical response.9-12
As many subjects with >=10% BSA are considered candidates
for systemic therapies such as biologic agents, the subject may
be transitioned if necessary to such a therapy after completion
of the initial course with desoximetasone spray 0.25% used for
up to 4 weeks.4,9 Additionally, the spray vehicle is an invaluable
tool for the treatment of large body surface, as well as hairbearing
areas such as the scalp and difficult to reach areas. More
specifically, twice daily application of desoximetasone spray 0.25% was shown to be significantly superior to the vehicle and
well-tolerated. There were no statistically significant differences
between the adverse events reported in active and vehicle arms
and no burning or stinging was reported.
CONCLUSION
Desoximetasone spray 0.25% is a super-potent TCS formulation
that has the potential based on clinical studies to be a valuable
addition to the treatment armamentarium for plaque psoriasis.
Ultimately, it is important that safety considerations be taken
into account with all therapies, thus necessitating education on
the proper use and application, frequency, duration, and followup
when desoximetasone spray 0.25% is prescribed.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to acknowledge the clinical
investigators who participated in the desoximetasone spray,
0.25% pivotal studies including John Fitzgerald Adams MD,
Barbara Bopp MD, Robert Brown MD, Alicia Bucko DO JD,
Michael Buhalo MD, Zoe Draelos MD, Scott Geunther MD,
