International Study Validates Effectiveness Of Imiquimod Cream.(Brief Article)

2002 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New findings from a recent, international, open-label study reaffirm that the patient-applied treatment, Aldara (imiquimod) Cream, 5%, is safe and effective for eradicating external genital warts, the results of which are reflective of a real-life clinic setting.

The study reports that the efficacy of Aldara in 943 male and female patients of different ethnic backgrounds was similar to that in previous randomized, vehicle-controlled studies. This international trial is the first published study that investigates the efficacy of a topical therapy for external genital warts in such a large group of patients encompassing 114 clinics across five continents (Europe, Canada, Latin America, Australia, and South Africa).

Patients whose warts decreased in size but did not totally clear in the initial 16 weeks of therapy (191, 20%), were offered the option to apply Aldara for up to an additional 16 weeks. This resulted in total clearance in 33% of these patients.

The continued application of Aldara was well tolerated by patients, and this study highlights that the frequency of application site reactions was, indeed, lower in the second treatment cycle compared with the initial 16 weeks of therapy. Furthermore, the results of this study, which was published in the International Journal of STD and AIDS, validate previous observations from the highly controlled trials that patients whose warts cleared with Aldara therapy, tended to remain clear.

"The fact that less than 10% of the patients required retreatment in the three months after their warts cleared, is a considerable ...