Objective: To examine the effectiveness and safety of adjunctive treatment with calcipotriene 0.005%/betamethasone dipropionate 0.064% (Cal/BD) foam in adult patients with chronic plaque psoriasis who have localized residual plaques after ≥24 weeks of treatment with ixekizumab biologic therapy.
Methods: This study was a prospective, open-label, single-arm study of adult patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis who had suboptimal response after ≥24 weeks of treatment with ixekizumab (residual 3–8% body surface area [BSA] involvement). All patients continued treatment with ixekizumab and received once-daily Cal/BD foam for 4 weeks, followed by every other day for weeks 8 to 12. The primary endpoint was treat-to-target BSA ≤1% at week 4. Additional endpoints included the Physician’s Global Assessment (PGA) score, PGA×BSA, and the patient-reported Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Safety evaluations included assessments of adverse events (AEs) and local skin reactions.
Results: Among 25 enrolled patients, 36% were female, and the mean age was 50 years. After 4 weeks of daily Cal/BD foam, 56% of patients achieved the treat-to-target goal of ≤1% BSA. Mean % BSA involvement, mean PGA score, and composite PGA×BSA score decreased 4 weeks after the addition of Cal/BD foam. Improvements in disease severity outcomes were maintained after reducing Cal/BD dosing frequency. Cal/BD was generally safe and well-tolerated, with no serious AEs reported.
Conclusion: In real-world clinical practice, for patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who had residual plaques following ≥24 weeks of ixekizumab monotherapy, adjunctive treatment with Cal/BD foam was associated with notable and sustained improvements in disease control. J Drugs Dermatol. 2022;21(3): 235-240. doi:10.36849/JDD.6396.