Rosacea is an inflammatory skin disorder that affects over 14 million Americans. Although this skin disorder has been intensively researched over many years, the cause or causes of rosacea remain unknown. A recent survey suggests that as many as 78% of people with rosacea don't even know they have it and others believe they have acne. Rosacea is becoming increasingly widespread as the populous baby boom generation enters the most susceptible ages. Unfortunately, rosacea cannot be cured but it can be controlled. Typical treatments for rosacea include the topical use of Metronidazole (Metrogel) Azelaic acid (Finacea) or the use of oral antibiotics, such as tetracycline.
Therametics scientists have found that topical formulations containing Therosol® can markedly reduce the symptoms of rosacea. Clinical studies with one Therosol®-based lotion were carried out by the Dermatology Department at Stanford School of Medicine, while a second topical Therosol® product is currently being evaluated at several dermatology clinics around the country.
In the first study, 34 patients with moderate to severe rosacea were given either a 2% Therosol® lotion to use or the same lotion without Therosol® and asked to use it twice daily for 12 weeks. At the end of the study patients were evaluated for redness, dryness and overall improvement in their condition. Of the patients using the Therosol® lotion, 11/17 found improvement in their rosacea symptoms. Physician scoring of overall severity also found improvement in the Therosol® group but not in the the vehicle (placebo) group.
Based on the positive data from this small clinical study, a Therosol® lotion was sent to several dermatology clinics with expertise in treating rosacea. The clinical photographs below show the marked improvement in just one month of use of the test lotion. This formulation has now been found to be effective even in patients with severe rosacea, including acne rosacea. The formulation is gentle, non-irritating and highly moisturizing. Further, because of the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of Therosol®, the emulsion reduces redness and also calms the skin, eliminating the burning and discomfort often associated with rosacea. This technology is available for pharmaceutical licensing.