Oxymetazoline and Energy‐Based Therapy in Patients with Rosacea: Evaluation of the Safety and Tolerability in an Open‐Label, Interventional Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of oxymetazoline hydrochloride cream, 1% (oxymetazoline) when used as an adjunctive treatment with energy‐based therapy for patients with moderate to severe facial erythema associated with rosacea. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this Phase 4, multicenter, interventional, open‐label study, eligible patients received one of four energy‐based therapies (potassium titanyl phosphate laser, intense pulsed light therapy, pulsed‐dye laser Vbeam Perfecta, or pulsed‐dye laser Cynergy) on day 1 and day 29 and once‐daily application of oxymetazoline on days 3 through 27 and days 31 through 56. Improvement from baseline in Clinician Erythema Assessment (CEA) score, patient satisfaction measures, incidence of treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs), and worsening from baseline on dermal tolerability assessments and the Clinician Telangiectasia Assessment (CTA) were assessed. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 46 patients (mean age, 51.1 years; 78.3% female) enrolled in this study. Similar numbers of patients received each of the energy‐based therapies in addition to oxymetazoline. All patients demonstrated an improvement from baseline in CEA during the study with 39 of 43 evaluable patients (90.7%) demonstrating an improvement 6 hours posttreatment on day 56. Most patients were satisfied or very satisfied with treatment at the end of the study. All TEAEs were mild or moderate in severity. Some patients experienced worsening in dermal tolerability assessment symptoms (range: 4–21 patients; 8.7–45.7%). Worsening in CEA and CTA were each reported by three patients (6.5%) at any time during the study. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with oxymetazoline as adjunctive therapy with energy‐based therapy was safe, well tolerated, and reduced facial erythema in patients with moderate to severe persistent facial erythema associated with rosacea. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 The Authors. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC