A comparison of twice-daily and once-daily administration of fluticasone propionate cream, 0.05%, in the treatment of eczema

Abstract

This multicenter, double-blind, randomized, parallel, four-week, vehicle-controlled study compared the efficacy and safety of once- and twice-daily application of fluticasone propionate cream, 0.05%, over a twenty-eight-day treatment period in 238 patients with moderate-to-severe eczema. Clinical evaluations, which included the physician's gross assessment, the severity of signs and symptoms, and the patient's subjective evaluation, were conducted at baseline and at weekly intervals following initiation of treatment. Both fluticasone QD and BID were found to be superior to vehicle at each evaluation. Application of fluticasone BID was found to be superior to once-daily application at day 22 based on the physician's gross assessment, and at days 15 and 22 based on the patient's subjective assessment. There were, however, no statistically significant differences between QD and BID application at day 8 and at the end of the twenty-eight-day treatment period. The results of this study suggest that QD application may be recommended for the treatment of moderate-to-severe eczema in most patients. As always, treatment effectiveness should be monitored periodically and BID application may be necessary to maximize therapeutic benefits in some patients.