by Allison Sit
Dermatology Advisor, Dermatology News, Healio, Medriva and Medscape all covered a Journal of Drugs in Dermatology study about the long-term safety and effectiveness of topical clascoterone for acne. The study, “Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Twice-Daily Topical Clascoterone Cream 1% in Patients Greater Than or Equal to 12 Years of Age With Acne Vulgaris,” was conducted by Lawrence Eichenfield, MD, and colleagues from the U.S. and Italy. While clascoterone cream 1% is FDA-approved for the treatment of acne vulgaris based on results from two 12-week Phase 3 studies, the researchers decided to conduct an open-label, long-term extension study. Subjects applied clascoterone cream 1% twice daily to the entire face and to the trunk in some patients for up to 9 months. Patients achieving Investigator’s Global Assessment score of 0 or 1 could stop treatment and resume if the acne worsened. Investigators found that the most common new or worsening local skin reactions were erythema and scaling/dryness, which was consistent with other studies. While the researchers noted that the main purpose of the study was to determine the long-term safety of clascoterone cream 1%, the researchers found the treatment’s efficacy improved over time. In fact, the proportion of patients who were clear or almost clear increased at each visit and was highest at the end of the study.
Healio also wrote about a JDD study on using a chemical peel in combination with Botox on the same treatment day to improve skin appearance. The study, “Optimized Patient Outcomes With the Novel Modality of Corrective Chemical Peel and Neurotoxin on Same-Day Treatment,” was conducted by Wendy Roberts, MD, FAAD, and Nancy Miller, RN, MBA. Twenty-four subjects underwent the VI Peel with an average off 5 to 6 layers applied at 1-minute intervals. Researchers then immediately administered Botox. Researchers reported that there were no adverse events with the same-day combination. The treatment plan resulted in a 60% improvement of the average rating on the Wrinkle Severity Scale, a 59% improvement of the average rating on the Uniformity of Pigment Scale, and a 70% improvement of the average rating on the Skin Tone Scale. In addition, 100% of participants reported their skin looked better after having the combination of VI Peel and Botox, and 96% reported they were likely to repeat the treatment.
Dermatology News also wrote about a JDD study on gaps in residency education about the management of sensitive skin. The study, “Sensitive Skin: A Survey of Dermatology Resident Physicians’ Perspectives and Educational Exposures,” was conducted by Erika T. McCormick and Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD, with GW University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The researchers surveyed dermatology residents and found 99% believe that sensitive skin should be included in some capacity in dermatology residency training. However, less than half of responding residents received education specifically about sensitive skin and less than one-fourth of residents reported feeling very knowledgeable about the diagnosis, clinical evaluation or management of sensitive skin. Researchers wrote that the lack of consensus within dermatology on sensitive skin likely contributes to the discrepancies found in the survey. They advocate for improving evidence and research on sensitive skin.
