Abstract
BACKGROUND: A two-compound product containing calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate (Daivobet/Dovobet) has been evaluated in a large clinical trial programme, providing a wealth of data on the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of the two-compound product in patients with mild, moderate and severe psoriasis vulgaris. METHODS: Data from over 1,534 patients with psoriasis vulgaris who received the two-compound product once daily for at least 4 weeks in four randomised, double-blind studies were pooled. A meta-analysis of the pooled data is presented. Severity of psoriasis at baseline was determined by investigator assessment and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score. RESULTS: For patients with severe disease defined by PASI score (PASI baseline > or = 17), the mean reduction in PASI after up to 4 weeks of treatment was 71.6% compared with 68.9 and 67.2% for those with moderate (PASI baseline 5.1-16.0) and mild disease (PASI baseline < or = 5). Corresponding reductions for investigator-assessed severity were 72.6, 69.1 and 68.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although the meta-analysis of the data from these four studies was performed post hoc, we may conclude that the two-compound product provided highly effective treatment of psoriasis, regardless of the category of baseline disease severity.
