Roflumilast Cream Shows Promise for Young Psoriasis Patients
Roflumilast cream 0.3% may help improve the signs and symptoms of plaque psoriasis in children aged 2 too 11 years when used as directed.1
The safety, how the body processes the medicine (pharmacokinetics), how well it’s tolerated, and how effective the cream is were all similar to what was seen in previous studies with people age 2 and older, and in studies with people age 12 and older. Adelaide hebert, MD, a professor and director of pediatric dermatology at McGovern medical School at UTHealth Houston, led the research.
“Psoriasis affects children and adults in similar ways, but there aren’t many topical treatments approved for children under 12,” Hebert and her team wrote.1,2 “Studies have shown that roflumilast cream 0.3%, which blocks a certain enzyme (phosphodiesterase 4), is effective and safe for people age 2 and older with psoriasis.”
How the Study Was Done
Researchers looked at two phase 2 studies. These studies were “open-label,” meaning everyone knew they were getting the roflumilast cream. They tested the cream on children with plaque psoriasis for 4 weeks.One group of children was ages 2-5, and the other was ages 6-11.
To be in the study, children needed to have psoriasis covering at least 2% of their body and a score of 2 or higher on a scale used by doctors to measure how severe the psoriasis is (Investigator Global Assessment, or IGA). The IGA scale goes from 0 (clear) to 4 (severe). Caregivers put the cream on the affected skin once a day for 28 days.