Halcinonide in the treatment of corticosteroid responsive dermatoses

Eighty-eight patients with bilateral lesions of atopic dermatitis, eczematous dermatitis, neurodcrmatitis or psoriasis were treated, without occlusion, with halcinonide and with betamethasone 17-valerate creams (0.1%) and evaluated in a double-blind, paired comparison study. In the forty-three psoriatic patients, halcinonidc was superior in twenty-three, betamethasone 17-valerate was superior in four, both drugs were equally effective in fourteen, and neither drug was effective in two. In the evaluation of all eighty-eight patients, halcinonide was superior in forty-two, betamethasone 17-valerate was superior in eight, both drugs were equally effective in twenty-nine, and neither drug was effective in nine. The overall superiority of halcinonide to betamethasone 17-valerate was highly significant (P <0.001). Halcinonide exhibited its superiority each week of the 3-week study. There were no side effects with either drug. The substitution of a chlorine atom for a hydroxyl group in the 21-position of the triamcinolone acctonide molecule, and the use of a specifically formulated cream vehicle containing propylene glycol and water, have yielded an extremely active topical anti-inflammatory drug.