Eumovate (clobetasone butyrate) 0.05% cream with its moisturizing emollient base has better healing properties than hydrocortisone 1% cream: a study in nickel-induced contact dermatitis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The emollient base of a topical corticosteroid, through its moisturizing properties, can be a useful treatment adjunct. OBJECTIVE: To compare the healing properties of Eumovate (clobetasone butyrate) 0.05% cream with its emollient base, hydrocortisone 1% cream and with no treatment. METHODS: A single-centre, double-blind, intra-individual, comparative study that involved 18 volunteers with nickel-induced contact dermatitis. Following a positive patch test to nickel, sub-therapeutic amounts (10µl=3 mg cm -2 ) of each of the treatments were applied twice daily for seven days to each of the four test sites. RESULTS: In terms of the primary endpoint, a physician's global assessment after 7 days of treatment, clobetasone butyrate (CB) 0.05% cream showed a significantly better response than hydrocortisone (HC) 1% cream (78% vs 39%, difference -0.4, 95% CI -0.7 to -0.1; p = 0.046) or no treatment (78% vs 28%, difference -0.5, 95% CI -0.9 to -0.1; p = 0.016). CB 0.05% cream also showed a better response than its emollient base (78% vs 56%), though statistical significance was not achieved. In terms of moisturizing effects, there was no difference in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) between CB 0.05% cream and its emollient base. CB 0.05% cream treated sites did, however, have significantly lower values (i.e. were more moisturized) than untreated sites (difference -8.5, 95% CI -12.0 to -4.86; p < 0.001) or HC 1% treated sites (difference -7.1, 95% CI -11.0 to -3.4; p < 0.001). In terms of skin blanching activity, as expected the steroid-based creams achieved lower colorimetric values than the emollient base cream. CONCLUSIONS: These results from experimentally induced skin inflammation indicate that CB 0.05% (as Eumovate 0.05% cream) has both more effective anti-inflammatory activity and better moisturizing properties than hydrocortisone 1% cream and that these effects are in part due to its efficient emollient base.