Calcipotriol combined with other therapies

When used in conjunction with narrowband UVB, calcipotriol appears to have a UVB sparing effect. A placebo-controlled trial showed that those in the active group (i.e. where calcipotriol was used) needed a significantly lower UVB dosage than those in the control group (Woo and McKenna, 2003). Although there was no significant difference in Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) and quality of life measures between the active and control group at the end of the study, at 8 weeks the PASI had improved to a significantly greater extent in the active group. The UVB sparing effect of calcipotriol could be important in offering an option which decreases the carcinogenicity of the UVB therapy.

A small study involving 40 patients looked at whether combining calcipotriol with acitretin was more effective than acitretin on its own. Their results suggested that calcipotriol may enhance the clinical outcomes when acitretin is used. The duration of treatment and total dose of acitretin required to achieve clearance was slightly lower in the combination group, but this difference did not achieve significance (Rim et al., 2003).