(Evidence-based review published in JEADV)

Berlin, Germany – Methylprednisolone aceponate (Advantan®, MPA), a fourth-generation, non-halogenated corticosteroid, provides rapid and efficacious symptom relief in atopic dermatitis in children and infants, with only a low incidence of topical and systemic side effects. This was the conclusion of a scientific review based on high-grade evidence from various clinical studies that was recently published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (JEADV)*.

“We reviewed 12 studies that have investigated the efficacy and safety of MPA in children with atopic dermatitis and found substantial evidence that MPA offers an optimal risk-benefit ratio in this indication”, said Dr. Ulrike Blume-Peytavi, professor at the Department of Dermatology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, and corresponding author of the review. “Our evaluation shows that MPA is a good choice for treating atopic dermatitis in children.”

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic recurring pruritic skin condition affecting five to 20 percent of children and two to five percent of adults with onset in early childhood in most cases. Effective control of infantile AD is essential to reduce the severity and duration of flares and to facilitate long-term maintenance. While topical corticosteroids have been the gold standard in AD therapy for more than 50 years, increasingly potent older-generation therapeutics have tended to come with an increasing risk of adverse events, including systemic effects following adsorption into the bloodstream. Thus, they may suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in children, impede normal growth and induce Cushing’s syndrome. Fourth-generation, non-halogenated corticosteroids such as methylprednisolone aceponate (MPA) have been shown to achieve potent control of AD while providing an excellent benefit-risk ratio. A number of studies indicate that MPA is safe and highly efficacious in reducing the typical symptoms of AD in pediatric patients. MPA is available in a wide range of formulations, so that it is easy to tailor the treatment to patients’ needs. Thus, different formulations of MPA can be used interchangeably and simultaneously in different areas of the body. There is even a convenient milk formulation for use in the treatment of infants as young as four months. MPA is also suitable for once-daily dosing, which promotes compliance and results in lower treatment costs than for medications that need to be given twice daily.

About atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory, chronically relapsing, pruritic skin disorder. The resulting skin changes lead to an increased risk of penetration by allergens and microbial antigens. In addition, functional disturbances of the sweat and sebaceous glands further impair normal skin function. 80 percent of pediatric AD patients present before the age of one year. Severe AD can result in considerable restrictions in normal activities of daily living, leading to social isolation and problems at school.

About Advantan®
Advantan® (methylprednisolone aceponate, MPA) is a modern, non-halogenated diester corticosteroid indicated for treatment of all stages of AD. It provides rapid and efficacious relief of signs and symptoms of AD with low incidences of systemic side effects in both adults and children. MPA belongs to the newest class of topical corticosteroids that are associated with only limited systemic absorption of cortisone and quick deactivation of the molecule in the systemic circulation. Advantan® is available in five different formulations – fatty ointment, ointment, cream, milk as well as a scalp solution and is currently marketed in more than 80 countries worldwide.

About Intendis
Intendis is an integrated pharmaceutical company based in Berlin, Germany. As part of Bayer HealthCare, Intendis is completely dedicated to dermatology and focuses on the development and marketing of high quality, innovative topical therapies, targeted to treat skin disorders. The current product portfolio comprises treatments of eczema disorders including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, hemorrhoids and fungal skin infections (mycoses). Find out more at www.intendis.com.

About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of EUR 15,988 million (2009), is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 53.400 employees and is represented in more than 100 countries. Find more information at www.bayerhealthcare.com.

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*JEADV 2010, online, DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2010.03942.x