Comparison of safety and efficacy of fluticasone propionate cream, 0.05%, and betamethasone valerate cream, 0.1%, in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

Investigators conducted two double-blind, randomized, parallel-group trials to compare the efficacy of fluticasone propionate cream, 0.05%, and betamethasone valerate cream, 0.1%, in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Up to 100 gm/week of the study medication was applied topically to affected areas of the body twice daily for up to four consecutive weeks. Efficacy and safety were evaluated after seven, fourteen, twenty-one, and twenty-eight days of treatment. The data from the participating sites show that fluticasone propionate cream, 0.05%, was as efficacious as betamethasone valerate cream. Investigators found no statistically significant differences between the two products by any of the three variables used to gauge efficacy (P > 0.05). Drug-related adverse events were few and mild. These findings support the conclusion that fluticasone propionate cream, 0.05%, is effective and well tolerated when used to treat moderate-to-severe psoriasis and is comparable to a widely used midpotency topical steroid.