First self-adhesive patch for photodynamic therapy in actinic keratosis

Latest findings on the common keratogenic disorder actinic keratosis (AK) have proven that all AK lesions are potentially at risk of invasive progression and may progress directly to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).¹

Latest findings on the common keratogenic disorder actinic keratosis (AK) have proven that all AK lesions are potentially at risk of invasive progression and may progress directly to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).¹

Therefore the high burden of disease requires an immediate treatment and effective therapeutics. The first self-adhesive dermal patch for the photodynamic therapy (PDT) meets this need. Alacare^® provides a precisely targeted and effective treatment for actinic keratoses with sustained clinical outcomes after only one treatment and high overall patient satisfaction.² The self-adhesive patch with the active ingredient 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is now available in the United Kingdom and Sweden under the name Alacare^®.

This ready-to-use patch shows the best clinical outcome compared to conventional PDT after one treatment cycle.^2,3 A single dose of Alacare^® shows statistically significantly better treatment results versus cryosurgery (p<0.01) and eliminates up to 89 % of AK lesions with statistically significantly lower recurrence rates (p=0.011). Another relevant finding relates to pigmentation disorders, which are frequent side effects of cryosurgery. With Alacare^® it differed statistically significantly 12 months after single treatment compared to cryotherapy (p<0.001).¹ The consistently good cosmetic results have been confirmed by a patient based assessment evaluating the cosmetic outcome of Alacare^® treated lesions. Patients statistically significantly favoured the patch over cryosurgery (p<0.0001).²

Apart from the good clinical data Alacare^® shows further advantages, including time-saving aspects for healthcare professionals during application and ease of use aspects in general. The patches can be easily applied at difficult-to-treat areas like nose or ear. Another advantage is that the patch can be directly applied with no need of any pre-treatment. Due to the opaque foil of the patch there is as well no need for additional light protection during the application. Furthermore, when removed, no cleaning of the treated area is necessary as no residues are left and the lesions can directly be exposed to the red light.

References

1. Fernández-Figueras MT et al. Actinic keratosis with atypical basal cells (AK I) is the most common lesion associated with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. JEADV. 2015;29:991-7.
2. Hauschild A et al. Optimization of photodynamic therapy with a novel self-adhesive 5-aminolaevulinic acid patch: results of two randomized controlled phase III studies. Br J Dermatol. 2009;160(5):1066-74.
3. Kirschka T et al. Photodynamic therapy with BF-200 ALA for the treatment of actinic keratosis: results of a multicentre, randomized, observer-blind phase III study in comparison with a registered methyl-5-aminolaevulinate cream and placebo. Br J Dermatol. 2012;166(1):137-46.