Treatment of papulopustular rosacea with a new formulation of topical ivermectin in gel

Abstract

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that most often affects the facial center area. It affects patients from all ages, with a peak incidence on the fourth decade of life. Psychological stress, sun exposure, weather changes, and diet are some of the
factors associated to rosacea flare-ups. The use of a topical ivermectin 1% cream for the treatment of rosacea has recently been described in several randomized controlled trials, with very favorable results and with high tolerance.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerance of a novel formulation of topical ivermectin in 1% gel in patients with a diagnosis of papulo- pustular rosacea, from the treated patient’s point of view and the objective observation by the evaluating dermatologists. 23 patients diagnosed with papulopustular rosacea were included, who were treated with ivermectin 1% gel, once daily, using nightly applications for 8 weeks. For the evaluation, a percentage improvement scale was used, obtaining 100% of improvement in 35% of the patients evaluated (8/23), 75% of improvement in 61% (14/23), 50% of improvement in 4% (1/23).None of the patients had adverse effects during the 8 weeks of the trial. The results obtained conclude that the use of ivermectin 1% gel is highly effective with high tolerability for the treatment of papulopustular rosacea.

Keywords: rosacea, topical ivermectin, treatment