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American Journal of Clinical Dermatology 2000Alitretinoin is a retinoid receptor pan-agonist, which has been investigated in the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Binding with high affinity to all known retinoid... (Review)
Review
Alitretinoin is a retinoid receptor pan-agonist, which has been investigated in the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Binding with high affinity to all known retinoid receptors, alitretinoin is thought to regulate proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis of KS cells. Significantly more patients experienced complete or partial responses [according to the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) criteria for topical treatment of cutaneous KS] with alitretinoin 0.1% gel 2 to 4 times daily than with vehicle gel in 2 phase III, multicenter, 12-week, randomized, double-blind clinical trials of patients with AIDS-related KS (35 vs 18%, p = 0.002 and 37 vs 7%, p = 0.00003, respectively). Responses were also observed in patients refractory to prior systemic or topical anti-KS therapies. In an intent-to-treat analysis in a phase II trial, 37% of patients with AIDS-related KS receiving alitretinoin capsules 60 to 100 mg/m2/day demonstrated either complete or partial responses (determined by ACTG criteria). The majority of adverse events associated with alitretinoin 0.1% gel were classified as either mild or moderate, occurred at the site of application and were reversible. In both phase III trials, rash was the most common adverse event. The most common adverse events in patients taking alitretinoin capsules included headache, dry skin, rash, alopecia, exfoliative dermatitis, and hyperlipidemia.
Topics: Alitretinoin; Antineoplastic Agents; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Sarcoma, Kaposi; Skin Neoplasms; Tretinoin
PubMed: 11702321
DOI: 10.2165/00128071-200001050-00005 -
Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy Feb 2022Chronic hand eczema (CHE) is a frequent skin disorder affecting up to 10% of the population and strongly reduces Quality of Life (QoL). The first-line therapeutic... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Chronic hand eczema (CHE) is a frequent skin disorder affecting up to 10% of the population and strongly reduces Quality of Life (QoL). The first-line therapeutic strategies for the management of CHE include a change of lifestyle, an education program for the skin and the application of specific emollients. Topical corticosteroids or calcineurin inhibitors are the most used anti-inflammatory drugs. However, up to 65% of patients require systemic options. Alitretinoin, a retinoid structurally related to vitamin A, is the first systemic treatment approved in the European Union (EU) for severe CHE refractory to potent topical corticosteroids.
AREAS COVERED
This review summarizes the available data on the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy, and safety profile of oral alitretinoin for the treatment of CHE.
EXPERT OPINION
Alitretinoin can be considered as a valid therapeutic option for the treatment of CHE in patients not responding to ordinary treatments. Clinical trials and real-life experiences showed that it acts effectively on both objective and subjective clinical signs, resulting in a significant improvement in QoL of patients. As for other retinoids, caution should be taken in patients with certain chronic diseases (hepatopathies, kidney failure, hyperlipidemia, thyroid dysfunction) or childbearing potential women.
Topics: Alitretinoin; Eczema; Female; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Quality of Life; Tretinoin
PubMed: 34789049
DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2021.1998457 -
Drugs Sep 2016Chronic hand eczema is a common but frequently disabling skin condition which poses a significant social and economic burden. Although skin protection measures and... (Review)
Review
Chronic hand eczema is a common but frequently disabling skin condition which poses a significant social and economic burden. Although skin protection measures and topical therapies are fundamental in its management, some patients are refractory to first-line therapy with topical corticosteroids and require systemic treatment. Alitretinoin (9-cis-retinoic acid; Toctino(®)) is an endogenous vitamin A derivative with high binding affinity for both retinoic acid receptors and retinoid X receptors. Alitretinoin is the first systemic treatment to be approved in the EU for use in patients with severe chronic hand eczema unresponsive to potent topical corticosteroids. This article updates an earlier review of alitretinoin in this indication, focusing on recently published data. In clinical trials, treatment with alitretinoin 10 or 30 mg once daily for up to 24 weeks improved the severity and extent of severe chronic hand eczema in adults, with significantly more alitretinoin than placebo recipients achieving ratings of 'clear' or 'almost clear' hands on the Physician Global Impression of Change scale. For the most part, data obtained in real-world studies were consistent with those observed in clinical trials. Alitretinoin was generally well tolerated, with most adverse events being reversible, dose-dependent and of mild or moderate severity. Thus, oral alitretinoin is a useful treatment option for patients with severe chronic hand eczema unresponsive to potent topical corticosteroids.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alitretinoin; Dermatologic Agents; Drug Interactions; Eczema; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Tretinoin; Young Adult
PubMed: 27438290
DOI: 10.1007/s40265-016-0621-0 -
Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs Mar 2008Alitretinoin (9-cis-retinoic acid) is a unique panagonist retinoid, capable of binding to all six known retinoid receptors (RAR-alpha, -beta, -gamma, and RXR-alpha,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Alitretinoin (9-cis-retinoic acid) is a unique panagonist retinoid, capable of binding to all six known retinoid receptors (RAR-alpha, -beta, -gamma, and RXR-alpha, -beta, -gamma). Studies are being carried out to determine how best to utilize this characteristic in treatments for conditions such as chronic hand dermatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To review the literature on alitretinoin.
METHODS
The scope of the review encompasses ways that alitretinoin is currently and may potentially be utilized.
RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS
Orally administered alitretinoin is a safe and effective treatment for chronic hand dermatitis. Topical treatment with alitretinoin can be expanded into other areas such as photoaged skin and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Despite these benefits, oral alitretinoin will face a difficult path attaining approval for use in the US.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Alitretinoin; Antineoplastic Agents; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Receptors, Retinoic Acid; Sarcoma, Kaposi; Tretinoin
PubMed: 18321241
DOI: 10.1517/13543784.17.3.437 -
PharmacoEconomics 2010The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) invited the manufacturer of alitretinoin (Basilea Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Basel, Switzerland) to submit... (Review)
Review
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) invited the manufacturer of alitretinoin (Basilea Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Basel, Switzerland) to submit evidence for the clinical and cost effectiveness of this drug for the treatment of patients with severe chronic hand eczema (CHE), as part of the Institute's single technology appraisal (STA) process. The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York were commissioned to act as the Evidence Review Group (ERG). This article provides a description of the company submission, the ERG review and NICE's subsequent decisions. The ERG produced a critical review of the evidence for the clinical and cost effectiveness of the technology based upon the manufacturer's submission to NICE. The ERG also independently searched for relevant evidence and modified the manufacturer's decision analytic model to examine the impact of altering some of the key assumptions. The main clinical effectiveness data were derived from a single-placebo randomized controlled trial (RCT) of daily treatment with alitretinoin for 12-24 weeks, with follow-up for a further 24 weeks, in patients with severe CHE unresponsive to topical corticosteroids. A significantly greater proportion of patients achieved 'clear' or 'almost clear' hands by week 24 with alitretinoin than those using placebo: 48% with alitretinoin 30 mg (p < 0.001); 28% with alitretinoin 10 mg (p < 0.005); 17% with placebo. Most patients who responded remained in remission during the 24-week follow-up period. The most commonly reported adverse event was dose-dependent headache, with rates of 20% in the alitretinoin 30 mg group and 11% in the alitretinoin 10 mg group, respectively. Serious adverse events were rare, although alitretinoin was associated with increases in both total cholesterol and triglycerides. No direct or indirect comparisons of alitretinoin with any of the relevant treatment comparators (psoralen + UVA [PUVA], ciclosporin or azathioprine) were available. In the manufacturer's original submission to NICE, the base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) reported for alitretinoin were pound8614 per QALY versus ciclosporin, - pound469 per QALY versus PUVA (with alitretinoin dominant) and pound10 612 per QALY versus azathioprine (year 2007-8 values). In response to a request from the ERG, the manufacturers provided a revised model that compared alitretinoin only with placebo, for which the ICER was reported to be pound12 931. However, the omission of adverse events entirely from this revised model, in combination with a number of other factors, led the ERG to conclude that the model underestimated the costs of treatment associated with alitretinoin. Estimates of health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) were the primary source of uncertainty, with the use of values from an alternative source producing ICERs of around pound30 000 per QALY gained. The ERG concluded that, although the evidence presented indicates that alitretinoin is efficacious in the treatment of severe CHE, it gives little indication of alitretinoin's efficacy relative to likely alternative treatment options or its efficacy and safety in the longer term. Although the ICERs estimated by the manufacturer suggested that alitretinoin may be cost effective for use in the UK NHS, utilizing the alternative HR-QOL estimates resulted in a 2-fold increase in the ICER. Thus, there was considerable uncertainty as to the true ICER of alitretinoin versus the relevant treatment comparators. The Appraisal Committee recommended that alitretinoin be provided to those patients with severe CHE and a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score of at least 15. They recommended that treatment be stopped as soon as an adequate response was observed, or if CHE remained severe at 12 weeks, or if response was inadequate at 24 weeks.
Topics: Alitretinoin; Dermatologic Agents; Eczema; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Technology Assessment, Biomedical; Tretinoin
PubMed: 20131924
DOI: 10.2165/11532160-000000000-00000 -
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology Mar 2021
Topics: Alitretinoin; Dermatologic Agents; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prurigo
PubMed: 33464627
DOI: 10.1111/ced.14385 -
The British Journal of Dermatology Sep 2023Effective treatment options for patients with chronic hand eczema (CHE) are scarce. Dupilumab is licensed for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy and safety of dupilumab in patients with severe chronic hand eczema with inadequate response or intolerance to alitretinoin: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase IIb proof-of-concept study.
BACKGROUND
Effective treatment options for patients with chronic hand eczema (CHE) are scarce. Dupilumab is licensed for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and has shown promising results for the treatment of hand eczema in other studies.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dupilumab in adult patients with severe CHE (subtypes recurrent vesicular hand eczema or chronic fissured hand eczema) who have an inadequate response/intolerance to alitretinoin, or when alitretinoin is medically inadvisable.
METHODS
In this 16-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled proof-of-concept phase IIb trial, patients with severe CHE were randomized 2 : 1 to dupilumab 300 mg or placebo subcutaneously every 2 weeks. Patients visited the outpatient clinic at the initiation of the study drug, and every 4 weeks until 16 weeks of treatment. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving at least a 75% improvement on the Hand Eczema Severity Index score (HECSI-75) at week 16. Adverse events were monitored during each visit. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT04512339).
RESULTS
In total, 30 patients were randomized, and 29 patients received the assigned study drug (dupilumab n = 20, placebo n = 9). At week 16, more patients achieved HECSI-75 in the dupilumab group than in the placebo group {95% [95% confidence interval (CI) 73.1-99.7] vs. 33% [95% CI 9.0-69.1]}. Dupilumab also showed greater least square mean percentage change from baseline to week 16 in peak pruritus Numerical Rating Scale compared with placebo [-66.5 ± 10.7 (95% CI -88.6 to -44.5) vs. -25.3 ± 17.0 (95% CI -60.1-9.4)]. Adverse events were similar for the dupilumab and placebo groups and were mostly mild. There were no serious adverse events, nor did any of the adverse events lead to discontinuation of the study drug.
CONCLUSIONS
Dupilumab was efficacious and well tolerated. Larger studies of longer duration are needed to provide more evidence on the -efficacy of dupilumab in CHE. Moreover, larger studies could also enable comparisons between clinical subtypes or aetiological -diagnoses.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Alitretinoin; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Eczema; Dermatitis, Atopic; Treatment Outcome; Double-Blind Method; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 37170922
DOI: 10.1093/bjd/ljad156 -
Skin Therapy Letter Jul 2018Chronic hand dermatitis is a debilitating inflammatory dermatosis that has a significant impact on the quality of life of those affected. Alitretinoin is an oral... (Review)
Review
Chronic hand dermatitis is a debilitating inflammatory dermatosis that has a significant impact on the quality of life of those affected. Alitretinoin is an oral retinoid which has proven efficacy and safety in the treatment of chronic hand dermatitis through randomized controlled trials. Real-world evidence, information gathered in the clinic or community setting, as opposed to a research environment, can complement knowledge gained from clinical trials. Herein, real-world evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of alitretinoin in the management of chronic hand dermatitis will be reviewed.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Alitretinoin; Chronic Disease; Eczema; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Retinoids
PubMed: 30086182
DOI: No ID Found -
Dermatologic Therapy Mar 2019
Review
Topics: Alitretinoin; Dermatologic Agents; Female; Humans; Keratoderma, Palmoplantar; Middle Aged; Papillon-Lefevre Disease
PubMed: 30515925
DOI: 10.1111/dth.12794 -
Health Technology Assessment... May 2010This paper presents a summary of the evidence review group (ERG) report into the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of alitretinoin for the treatment of... (Review)
Review
This paper presents a summary of the evidence review group (ERG) report into the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of alitretinoin for the treatment of adults with severe chronic hand eczema refractory to topical steroid treatment in accordance with the licensed indication, based upon the evidence submission from Basilea Pharmaceuticals Ltd to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as part of the single technology appraisal process. The clinical evidence came from a single placebo-controlled randomised controlled trial of daily treatment with alitretinoin for 12-24 weeks, with follow-up for a further 24 weeks, in patients with severe chronic hand eczema (CHE) unresponsive to topical steroids. A statistically significantly greater proportion of patients using alitretinoin achieved the primary end point of clear or almost clear hands by week 24 than did those with placebo. Dose-dependent headache was the most commonly reported adverse event in patients treated with alitretinoin. Serious adverse events were rare, but alitretinoin was associated with increases in both total cholesterol and triglycerides, which has implications for risks of future cardiovascular events. The manufacturer submitted a de novo decision analytic model to estimate, over a time horizon of 3 years, the cost-effectiveness of alitretinoin versus the other relevant comparators identified by NICE. In response to the points of clarification put to it by the ERG regarding the initial submission, the manufacturer provided additional evidence and a revised decision analytic model with a 'placebo' arm. In the manufacturer's original submission to NICE, the base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) reported for alitretinoin were 8614 pounds per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) versus ciclosporin, -469 pounds per QALY versus psoralen + UVA (with alitretinoin dominant) and 10,612 pounds per QALY versus azathioprine. These ICERs decreased as the time horizon was extended in sensitivity analyses. In patients with hyperkeratotic CHE and in women of child-bearing potential, the ICER remained below 20,000. pounds When the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) values used in the model were replaced with those derived from an alternative study, these ICERs increased significantly (to 22,312 pounds per QALY for alitretinoin versus azathioprine). In the revised model, alitretinoin was reported to have an ICER of 12,931 pounds per QALY gained versus supportive care (placebo). However, the model underestimates the costs of treatment associated with alitretinoin. The manufacturer assumed that patients receiving alitretinoin visited the dermatologist every 4 weeks and ceased treatment as soon as they responded to it. If, in practice, patients would receive treatment for longer than this, then the manufacturer's model will have significantly underestimated the costs to the NHS. Additional analyses undertaken by the ERG produced ICERs close to 30,000 pounds per QALY gained for alitretinoin versus supportive care. This was largely due to uncertainty surrounding the impact of alitretinoin on HRQoL. The placebo-controlled trials conducted to date have established that alitretinoin can be efficacious for the treatment of severe CHE refractory to topical steroids, but longer term follow-up of trials or the implementation of registries is required to better establish the longer term efficacy or safety of alitretinoin. NICE recommended the use of alitretinoin for patients with severe CHE and a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score of at least 15. Treatment was recommended to be stopped as soon as an adequate response was observed, or if CHE remained severe at 12 weeks, or if response was inadequate at 24 weeks.
Topics: Algorithms; Alitretinoin; Azathioprine; Chronic Disease; Cyclosporine; Dermatologic Agents; Eczema; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; PUVA Therapy; Psychometrics; Quality of Life; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Tretinoin
PubMed: 20507802
DOI: 10.3310/hta14Suppl1/06