Multicenter study of the efficacy and safety of fexofenadine 60 mg. twice daily in 108 Thai patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria.

Fexofenadine is a non-sedating antihistamine indicated for relieving symptoms from allergic conditions with a rapid onset of action without cardiotoxic risks. Controlled studies showed that fexofenadine 180 mg daily provides significant relief of symptoms of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of fexofenadine 60 mg twice daily in Thai patients with CIU in a multicenter trial. Patients were assigned to receive twice daily doses of fexofenadine 60 mg for 6 weeks. Patients rated symptom severity every night, investigators rated patients' signs and symptoms at recruitment and at 1, 3 and 6 weeks. Ninety eight out of 108 patient (90.7%) completed the study. The patients reported 95 per cent improvement and, of those, 91 per cent had very favorable responses (excellent 15%, very good 42%, good 30%, fair 8%). The objective assessment by their physicians paralleled those responses. Fexofenadine provided a rapid clinical response that was significantly superior to before treatment in relieving symptoms of CIU (p < 0.001). Adverse events occurred in 20 cases (18.5%), mostly mild headache and drowsiness. Fexofenadine 60 mg twice daily provides effective relief of the symptoms of CIU with minimal adverse events.

Treatment of psoriasis vulgaris with topical vitamin D analogue (calcipotriol): open multicenter study.

Sixty-one psoriasis patients, 46 males and 15 females (mean age: 40 years, range: 20-70 years) with baseline PASI score of 7.16 (+/- 3.66 SD) were enrolled in the study. All subjects were advised to apply calcipotriol ointment twice daily for 6 weeks. Six patients dropped out, five after 2 weeks and one after 4 weeks of treatment. PASI scores of fifty five patients were reduced to 2.16 per cent, 46.78 per cent and 55.55 per cent by 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 weeks respectively versus the baseline. Overall clinical assessment showed remission in 7.27 per cent marked improvement 74.54 per cent and slight improvement 18.18 per cent. Mild erythema were observed in fourteen patients (22.95%) that were mostly transient except for one patient. Serum creatinine, calcium and phosphate were normal throughout the study.