Microneedle Betamethasone delivery efficacious, less painful for managing mild-to-moderate alopecia areata: Study
Researchers have found that microneedle transdermal delivery of compound betamethasone is just as effective as traditional intralesional injections for mild to moderate alopecia areata (AA). A recent study was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. This study was conducted by Rui Qiao and colleagues
Alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss, is a very stressing and burdensome condition for the patients. Intralesional glucocorticoid injections are one of the most commonly used treatments, but they cause severe pain. This randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine whether compound betamethasone delivered via microneedle transdermal delivery could provide a less painful yet comparable alternative for the treatment of mild-to-moderate AA.
The study included 80 AA patients with SALT scores below 50. Patients were assigned to two groups: Group A received traditional intralesional betamethasone injections, and Group B received the compound via transdermal microneedle delivery. Treatments were delivered for three months, and once a month. The main outcome that was measured was the decrease in the SALT score, whereas remission rates (SALT30/50/75/90) and pain levels by the VAS were recorded as secondary outcomes.
Key Findings
SALT Score Reduction:
• After three months, Group A showed a mean SALT reduction of 7.000 ± 4.5017, while Group B exhibited a reduction of 8.075 ± 8.014. The difference was not statistically significant.
Remission Rates:
Remission rates for SALT30/50/75/90 were:
• Group A: 92.50%, 90.00%, 57.50%, and 42.50%.
• Group B: 95.00%, 87.50%, 72.50%, and 40.00%.
• No significant differences were observed between the groups.
Pain Levels:
• Group B showed considerable lower pain scores than in Group A (4.000 ± 1.174 versus 5.281 ± 2.098, P =0.0047).
The use of microneedle transdermal delivery for compound betamethasone presents an innovative alternative for managing mild-to-moderate alopecia areata. This treatment offers equivalent efficacy to the conventional intralesional injections, with significantly reduced pain.
Reference:
Qiao, R., Zhu, J., Fang, J., Shi, H., Zhang, Z., Nie, J., Ge, Y., Lin, T., & Jiang, Y. (2024). Microneedle transdermal delivery of compound betamethasone in alopecia areata—A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2024.09.059
