Betamethasone valerate dressing is non-inferior to calcipotriol–betamethasone dipropionate ointment in the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate chronic plaque psoriasis: results of a randomized assessor-blinded multicentre trial

BACKGROUND: A ready-to-use betamethasone valerate 0.1% (BMV) dressing was found to be superior to placebo dressing and a reference 0.1% BMV cream in the treatment of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis (CPP). METHODS: This multicentre, prospective, randomized, investigator-blinded, controlled, non-inferiority trial compared the efficacy and safety of the BMV dressing to the calcipotriol–betamethasone dipropionate (CBD) ointment during a 4-week treatment of patients with mild to moderate CPP. The primary efficacy endpoint was the 4-item psoriasis total severity score (TSS-4) at week 4, and the associated non-inferiority margin was 1 point. Secondary outcome measures included the psoriasis global assessment (PGA) score and patients’ quality of life (QoL). Safety was assessed through adverse events (AE) reporting in each treatment group. RESULTS: Of 325 screened patients, 324 were randomized to BMV (N = 165) or CBD (N = 159), and were considered evaluable for the safety and intention-to-treat (ITT) efficacy analyses. Per protocol (PP) populations included 133 and 131 patients in the BMV and CBD groups respectively. The mean adjusted TSS-4 significantly decreased through the study from baseline in both groups. The PP (primary) analysis of week 4 data revealed a −0.288 (95% CI: −0.610 to 0.034) not significant between-group difference in adjusted means, demonstrating non-inferiority of BMV to CBD. Non-inferiority was also demonstrated in the ITT analysis. The PGA and other secondary outcomes were significantly improved from baseline in both groups at week 4. The QoL score was slightly better in the CBD group at week 4, but no difference was observed at follow-up. No safety or tolerability concerns were observed in either group. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: Centro Studi GISED, the centre led by LN, received a grant from IBSA Institut Biochimique SA. VF is an employee of IBSA Institut Biochimique SA.