Review Article
Year: 2017 | Month: December | Volume: 7 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 290-298
Desoximetasone 0.25% Cream and Ointment - An Updated Review of Its Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Efficacy in the Treatment of Steroid Responsive Dermatoses
Dr. Narendra Patwardhan1, Dr. Abhishek De2, Dr. Ketan R. Kulkarni3, Dr. Arindam Dey4, Dr. Rishi Jain5
1 Consultant in Skin, STD and Leprosy, Kelkar Nursing Home, Prabhat Road, Lane 1, Pune, Maharashtra
2Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal
3DGM, 4GM, 5Director, Medical Services, Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Rajiv Gandhi IT Park MIDC, Hinjawadi, Phase I, Pune, Maharashtra
Corresponding Author: Dr. Ketan R. Kulkarni
ABSTRACT
Topical corticosteroids are commonly used in the field of dermatology. Several topical corticosteroids have been developed over the years, with a focus to develop drugs with high local effect and minimum risk for adverse drug reactions. Desoximetasone cream and ointment 0.25% are high potency (class II), fluorinated topical corticosteroid. Literature search revealed no published review on the clinical evidence with Desoximetasone 0.25% cream and 0.25% ointment after 1992 and very few clinical publications. Hence, we aimed to perform an in-depth updated review of clinical evidence. We performed search across electronic databases like PUBMED, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and clinical trials registry – www.clinicaltrials.gov. Additionally, a general search at Google search engine was also performed. Desoximetasone or Desoxymethasone were the search terms used. We identified 14 randomized double blind studies with 1095 patients who received desoximetasone 0.25% cream and ointment with average treatment duration of 5.75 weeks in Psoriasis, 4.05 weeks in Eczema and 2 weeks in atopic dermatitis. In these studies, desoximetasone was often been judged superior overall in patients with inflammatory dermatoses compared to several other standard steroid preparations of intermediate potency (e.g. betamethasone valerate 0.1 %, triamcinolone acetonide 0.1 %, fluocinolone acetonide 0.025%) or in a few studies, to some steroids of high potency (e.g. betamethasone dipropionate 0.05 %, fluocinolone acetonide 0.05 %). Desoximetasone was well tolerated in most patients. With the clinical data available till date desoximetasone 0.25% cream and ointment appear to be effective and well tolerated formulations in the treatment of corticosteroid responsive dermatitis.
Key words: Desoximetasone, Steroid responsive dermatoses, Topical corticosteroids