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Abstract
Background: The combination of phototherapy and topical therapy is one of the most widely used treatment modalities for moderate to severe psoriasis. The development of targeted phototherapy with excimer laser and new topical spray formulations has made these therapies both more convenient and more effective. In this open label pilot study, we aim to assess the efficacy of combination therapy using 308-nm excimer laser, clobetasol propionate spray and calcitriol ointment for the treatment of moderate to severe generalized psoriasis.
Methods: In this 12-week study, patients with moderate to severe psoriasis received twice weekly treatment with XTRAC® Velocity 308-nm excimer laser combined with clobetasol propionate twice daily followed by calitriol ointment twice daily.
Results: To date, 21 patients have completed the protocol. By week 12, 76% of the patients had a reduction in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index by at least 75% (PASI-75) and 52% had a Physicians Global Assessment of “clear” or “almost clear”.
Conclusions: Excimer laser therapy combined with an optimized topical regimen that includes clobetasol spray followed by calictriol ointment appears to be an effective treatment for moderate to severe generalized psoriasis that avoids the risk of serious internal side effects associated with many systemic agents.
Declaration of interest
Dr John Koo is a speaker for AbbVie and Leo. Dr Koo conducts research for Amgen, Janssen, Novartis, Photomedex, Galderma, Pfizer and Merck. Dr Koo has no stocks, employment or board memberships with any pharmaceutical company. None of the grants were directly related to this study.
The authors (Ethan Levin, Maya Debbaneh, Mona Malakouti, Gabrielle Brown, Eva Wang, Rishu Gupta, Daniel Butler and Argentina Leon) report no conflicts of interest.