By Allison Sit
Healio recently reported on several JDD studies including one from the October JDD, “A Comparison of Alternative Medicine Users and Non-Users in Patients With Hidradenitis Suppurativa,” by Jordan Lane, BS, BSN, and others. The article, “Alternative Medicine Use Common Among Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa,” shares the results of a patient survey, which found that alternative medicine use was common regardless of disease severity. The authors wrote that the frequent use of alternative medicine demonstrates the limitations of currently available treatments and the need for new and better approaches.
Healio also published an article, “Temporary Interruption of Biologics in Plaque Psoriasis Generally Safe, Effective,” which is based on the October JDD study, “Biological Therapy Interruption and Re-Treatment in Chronic Plaque Psoriasis” by Charlie Yue Wang, MBBS, and others. The study reviewed the results of randomized withdrawal trials for etanercept, adalimumab, ixekizumab, brodalumab, guselkumab, risankizumab and tildrakizumab, and found no significant impact on skin clearance rates in patients who are interrupted once and then re-treated. While the authors note, in general, temporary interruption in biologic therapy appears to be safe and effective, infliximab may be an exception, and most biologic agents only have supporting data from one or two controlled trials.
A study from the November JDD also made news in Healio. The article, “Tazarotene, Halobetasol Combination Efficacious in Scalp Psoriasis,” is based on the study, “An Open-Label Pilot Study to Investigate Safety and Efficacy of Fixed Combination Tazarotene 0.045% and Halobetasol Propionate 0.01% Lotion for the Treatment of Scalp Psoriasis,” by Elif Ozyurekoglu and Leon Kircik, MD. The 12-week, open-label pilot study analyzed the safety and efficacy of fixed combination tazarotene 0.045% and halobetasol propionate 0.01% lotion in patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis with scalp involvement. In the 20 patients who completed the study, researchers found significant improvements in the primary and secondary endpoints, and that treatment was well-tolerated. The authors recommend a placebo-controlled double blind study for confirmation of the pilot study results.
Healio also published an article about the November JDD study, “Aminolevulinic Acid 20% Solution Combined With Photodynamic Therapy for Treatment of Actinic Keratoses: A Review,” by Joe Gorelick, MSN, FNP-C, and Scott Freeman, MCMS, PA-C. The article, “Photodynamic Treatment, Aminolevulinic Acid 20% Shows Benefit in Actinic Keratoses,” shares the review of clinical trial data, which found dramatically improved rates of AK clearance following treatment with ALA-PDT compared with PDT applied with the vehicle alone. The authors recommend patients treated with ALA-PDT receive thorough education to ensure they follow all treatment recommendations and are prepared to manage local reactions.
