Lack of efficacy of topical furfuryl palmitate in pediatric atopic dermatitis: a randomized double-blind study

Abstract

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis is a common disease in children. It is usually treated with topical steroids and/or calcineurin inhibitors in association with emollients but topical antioxidants have been recently introduced as a therapeutic option for children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of furfuryl palmitate, a new antioxidant molecule, in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled study.

Patients and methods: Children with atopic dermatitis were randomized into 2 groups treated for 2 weeks. One group of children (n = 60) was treated with a basic emollient cream and the other (n = 57) was treated with the same cream enriched with furfuryl palmitate.

Results: In both groups, there was a significant reduction (P < .001) in atopic dermatitis-measured using the SCORAD index-after 14 days. The reduction in the per-protocol analysis was higher for the basic cream. Treatment success was defined as a reduction of 20% or more in the SCORAD index from baseline to day 14. Patients who used treatment not permitted by the protocol were also considered treatment failures. The intention-to-treat analysis showed 70% positive results for the basic treatment and 29% for the treatment containing furfuryl palmitate (P < .0001) with a number needed to treat of 2.4 (95% confidence interval, 1.6-4.6). The emollient cream without furfuryl palmitate was observed to be more efficacious by pediatricians and parents, and no differences were reported between the 2 products in terms of tolerability.

Conclusions: Both products proved to be efficacious in treating atopic dermatitis in children, but the emollient cream not containing furfuryl palmitate showed better clinical efficacy.