Topical use of calcitriol 3 µg/g ointment in the treatment of mild‐to‐moderate psoriasis: results from an open‐label study

BACKGROUND: Calcitriol is the active metabolite and hormonal analogue of vitamin D3. It is widely used for the topical treatment of psoriasis showing good tolerability and effectiveness. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy, tolerability and safety of calcitriol 3 microg/g ointment in mild to moderate plaque psoriasis involving sensitive areas. METHODS: Sixty patients with a body surface area < 35% were enrolled into a prospective open label clinical study. Patients were treated for 12 weeks with a twice daily calcitriol 3 microg/g topical ointment application. Efficacy and safety were assessed during the therapy and during a 6-month follow-up period. RESULTS: The study demonstrated a high clinical remission rate which progressively increased throughout therapy (11.6% at week 4, 28.3% at week 8 and 63.3% at week 12). No serious adverse events and clinically relevant changes of calcium/phosphorus homeostasis were reported. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that calcitriol 3 microg/g ointment, applied twice daily, is an effective topical treatment for chronic psoriatic plaques involving less than 35% of the body surface and sensitive areas.