Patients with rosacea treated with metronidazole cream (MC) and metronidazole gel (MG) more frequently reported treatment concerns and side effects than patients treated with azelaic acid 15% foam (AAF).
Researchers aimed to assess the differences in patient-reported safety and tolerability of AAF vs MC and MG using matching-adjusted indirect comparison to compare patient-reported outcomes from survey data.
Survey results showed that patients treated with MG reported concerns with treatment efficacy, application, and treatment side effects more frequently compared with AAF. Patients with MC more frequently reported concerns with treatment efficacy and dryness. Further, patients treated with AAF reported concerns with cost of treatment compared with those who were treated with MG and MC.
“MG- and MC-treated patients more frequently reported treatment concerns and side effects than AAF-treated patients, and tolerability of those side effects was higher for patients treated with AAF,” concluded the study authors. “While treatment cost is a more frequent concern in patients treated with AAF, these patients less frequently reported concerns with treatment efficacy and reported similar or greater tolerance to side effects than patients treated with either MC or MG,” they continued. –Lisa Kuhns
Reference
Williamson T, LaRose A, Cameron J, et al. Rosacea treatment satisfaction: matching adjusted indirect treatment comparison analysis of metronidazole gel or cream vs azelaic acid foam. J Drugs Dermatol. 2020;19(3):295-304.
