In a report of data from a phase IIa trial published by Zirwas et al in JAMA Dermatology, once-daily treatment with roflumilast foam, 0.3%—a topical PDE4 inhibitor—resulted in higher rates of Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) success and improvements in WI-NRS score than vehicle foam among patients with seborrheic dermatitis on the scalp, face, and/or trunk; significant increases in percentages of patients achieving erythema and scaling success were also seen in the roflumilast group. Roflumilast foam was also well tolerated, with 24% of those treated with it experiencing an adverse event compared to 18.1% of those treated with vehicle foam; the majority of adverse events were mild or moderate. Notably, over 35% of patients treated with the roflumilast foam achieved an IGA status of clear, and two-thirds who had baseline WI-NRS score of 4 or greater achieved a 4-point or greater improvement by their 8-week follow-up. The study authors concluded, “These results suggest roflumilast foam, 0.3%, has the potential to help address the unmet need for an effective, cosmetically tolerable, treatment for seborrheic dermatitis.”
May 24, 2023