Tacrolimus microemulsion has good efficacy, safety for scalp psoriasis

For scalp psoriasis, 0.1 percent tacrolimus microemulsion has good efficacy and safety, according to a study published online Feb. 12 in Dermatology and Therapy.

Andreas Pinter, M.D., from the University Hospital Frankfurt in Germany, and colleagues conducted a multicenter, double-blind, vehicle-controlled phase 3 trial to examine the efficacy and safety of 0.1 percent tacrolimus microemulsion when applied topically in 128 patients with scalp psoriasis.

The researchers found that at eight weeks, scalp Investigator Global Assessment of 0 or 1 occurred in 28.6 percent of individuals in the tacrolimus group compared with 12.7 percent in the placebo group, indicating a significantly better response. Over time, the Dermatology Life Quality Index improved and was more pronounced in the tacrolimus- versus the placebo-treated group; after eight weeks of use, the difference was not statistically significant. No evidence of cutaneous side effects other than those known were revealed in the safety analysis. The study could not exclude toxicologically relevant serum levels of tacrolimus.

"In general, the results of this study are in line with a 2016 review of at least 23 studies involving more than 800 subjects evaluating topically applied tacrolimus, showing its general efficacy in treating different types of psoriasis in different areas," the authors write.