According to results of a phase 3 study presented at the 2022 AAD Annual Meeting, berdazimer 10.3% gel may be effective in clearing molluscum contagiosum in children. Berdazimer gel is a topical nitric oxide-releasing medication that combines berdazimer sodium gel with a hydrogel that promotes nitrous oxide release.
The vehicle-controlled, double-blind study evaluated the efficacy and safety of berdazimer gel versus vehicle in patients with molluscum. The study included males and females at least six months of age who had three to 70 raised and palpable molluscum lesions at baseline. During the study, 444 patients were randomly assigned to once-daily treatment with berdazimer gel, and 447 patients were assigned to vehicle gel for 12 weeks. At week 12, 32.4% of patients in the berdazimer gel group achieved complete clearance of molluscum lesions compared with 19.7% of patients in the vehicle group. The 90% clearance rate was also greater in the berdazimer gel group as was the rate of patients with zero or one remaining lesion.
Treating molluscum: Ingenol mebutate vs. imiquimod. Read more inDermWorld Weekly.
DermWorld Insights and Inquiries: Eye-opening news about oxymetazoline
Certain articles have a “wow” factor that immediately impacts practice. In 2007, I recall being impressed by two cases of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea reported by Shanler and Ondo that dramatically improved with the application of oxymetazoline hydrochloride 0.05%. Oxymetazoline had been used for decades to treat nasal decongestion or to “get the red out” of the eyes; I thought the idea was brilliant. I have been recommending it ever since either as the over-the-counter product or the 1% prescription cream formulation released in 2017.
Oxymetazoline is a potent vasoconstrictor that also demonstrates anti-inflammatory properties. It is a direct-acting, imidazoline-type sympathomimetic agonist that is highly selective for the α1A-adrenoceptor and is also a partially selective α2A-receptor agonist. The drug’s vasoconstrictive effects have been used to advantage for other dermatologic conditions, including post-acne erythema, erythromelalgia of the knee, and hemostasis during dermatologic surgery. Keep reading!
Trends in prescribing spironolactone for acne, HS in adolescents
Authors of a JAAD research letter evaluated trends in spironolactone use for acne and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in teenagers. A total of 13,045 acne patients treated with spironolactone and 215 HS patients were identified between 2014 through 2018. During this time, there was a two-to-three-fold increase in the use of the drug for acne and HS across all age groups. The use of spironolactone increased with age and was used about 10 times more frequently in 19-year-old women than in 13-year-old girls. The authors note a few studies that suggest good tolerability in adolescents, although efficacy data are limited.
Racial biases in medical notes may contribute to health disparities
A study published in Health Affairsfound that Black patients were more likely to be deemed ‘noncompliant’ in doctors’ notes. Researchers analyzed more than 40,000 hospital notes about 18,459 patients and found that Black people were 2.54 times more likely than white people to have negative descriptors in their files, such as ‘noncompliant, challenging, or resisting.’ The most commonly used descriptors were “refused,” “(not) adherent,” “(not) compliant,” and “agitated.” Notes written in an outpatient setting had lower odds of having a negative descriptor.
[As physician bias creates care disparities, what can dermatologists do to balance the scales? Find out inDermWorld.]
One-third of the patients were white, 61% were Black, 6% were Hispanic or Latino, and 3% were categorized as other. In total, 8.2% of patients had one or more negative descriptors recorded in the history and physical notes in their EHR.
Experts take a look at how training and research gaps impact skin of color patients in DermWorld.
The FDA issued warning letters to 12 companies for selling over-the-counter (OTC) skin lightening products containing hydroquinone that do not meet requirements to be legally sold as OTC drugs and may pose safety risks to those who use them. The skin lightening products are unapproved drugs and are not generally recognized as safe and effective (not GRASE). The FDA is alerting consumers that there are no FDA-approved or otherwise legally marketed OTC skin lightening products.
The FDA said it has received reports of serious side effects including skin rashes, facial swelling, and ochronosis from the use of skin lightening products containing hydroquinone. The FDA has asked the companies that received the warning letters to take prompt action and respond to the agency within 15 days.
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