Efficacy results of a 52-week, randomised, double-blind, safety study of a calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate two-compound product (Daivobet (R)/Dovobet (R)/Taclonex (R)) in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris

Background: The calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate two-compound product is safe and effective in the short-term treatment of psoriasis. Objective: The primary objective was to investigate the safety of two treatment regimens involving use of the two-compound product over 52 weeks. The efficacy results are presented here. Methods: Six hundred and thirty-four patients were randomised double-blind to treatment (once daily, when required) with either: 52 weeks of two-compound product (two-compound group), 52 weeks of alternating 4-week periods of two-compound product and calcipotriol (alternating group), or 4 weeks of two-compound product followed by 48 weeks of calcipotriol (calcipotriol group). Results: There was a trend towards a difference between treatments from the overall treatment effect for the percentage of satisfactory responses for each patient during the study (p = 0.071). This appeared to be due to the comparison of the two-compound and calcipotriol groups (p = 0.025). Conclusion: There was a trend towards the efficacy of the two-compound product used for up to 52 weeks being better than that of 4 weeks of the two-compound product followed by 48 weeks of calcipotriol