Single application of spinosad effective for scabies treatment in children: Study

USA: Spinosad 0.9% shows promise as a potential treatment against Scabies in children aged 4 years or older, according to a recent study.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, found that spinosad at 0.9% performed better than vehicle for scabies treatment in subjects of 4 years of age or older when applied as a single topical treatment from the neck down and left on the skin for a least 6 hours prior to being washed off.

Scabies is a contagious skin disease that results from Sarcoptes scabiei infestation. It occurs most frequently in children and young adults, with outbreaks in child care facilities and schools being the most common. Currently, there are no approved over-the-counter treatments, and approved prescription products have some shortcomings including potential resistance.

Spinosad is an insecticide derived from the fermentation of a soil actinobacterium. It shows promise as a potential treatment agent. In the study, Kerry W. Mettert, ParaPRO LLC, Carmel, Indiana, and colleagues evaluated the efficacy of 0.9% spinosad topical suspension in the eradication of scabies using combined results from 2 controlled clinical studies.

Each study included index subjects (the youngest household members with active scabies) and up to 5 other members in each household. They were applied 0.9% spinosad or vehicle once.

Primary efficacy was the percentage of index subjects with complete cure on day 28. 

"Spinosad at 0.9% performed better than vehicle in the treatment of scabies in these studies of subjects of 4 years of age or older following 1 application of study drug," wrote the authors. "Limited safety findings suggest that the product is well tolerated by subjects as young as 4 years of age."

Reference:

The study titled, "Spinosad at 0.9% in the treatment of scabies: Efficacy results from 2 multicenter, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled studies," is published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

DOI: https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(21)02290-8/fulltext