Clobetasol propionate foam 0.05% as a novel topical formulation for plaque-type and scalp psoriasis

Objectives: To establish the efficacy of clobetasol propionate foam 0.05% in patients with plaque-type psoriasis and scalp psoriasis. Methods: We conducted an open-label study on 24 patients. Twelve patients affected by plaque-type psoriasis (group 1) and 12 patients with scalp psoriasis (group 2) applied clobetasol propionate foam 0.05% twice daily for 4 weeks. Results: Clobetasol propionate foam 0.05% led to a reduction of the disease severity. After 2 weeks the PASI score decreased from 7.5 at baseline to 2.5 (range: 0.8-4.6, SD: 1.1) in group 1 and from 5.7 to 1.7 (range: 0.2-4.8, SD: 1.1) in group 2. At week 4, the mean PASI was 2 (range: 0.6-4, SD: 1) and 1.1 (range: 0.2-2.2, SD: 0.6) in groups 1 and 2, respectively. In particular, at week 2, 83.3% of patients with plaque psoriasis and 75% with scalp psoriasis achieved an improvement of the PASI score from baseline >= 50% (PASI-50). At week 4, 91.6% of patients from group 1 and 100% from group 2 achieved or maintained PASI-50, while 41.6% in group 1 and 58.3% in group 2 demonstrated a further improvement, reaching PASI-75. Conclusion: The rapidity of effect and the good safety profile suggest a role for clobetasol propionate foam 0.05% in the management of both plaque-type and scalp psoriasis.