PR80422

Newly Published ROSacea COnsensus (ROSCO) Expert Recommendations Encourage Dermatologists to Upweight Burden-related Discussions, Aim For 'Complete Clearance' of Symptoms and Consider Combination Therapy For Severe Patients

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, September 9, 2019, /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

Experts also welcome upsurge in the adoption of a rosacea signs and

symptoms ('phenotype') led approach in clinical practice and announce

the launch of prototype clinical tools to support physicians to optimize

rosacea management

Published online in the

British Journal of Dermatology, updated global recommendations from the ROSacea

COnsensus (ROSCO) expert panel call on dermatologists to recognize the

importance of disease burden discussions, recommending the use of four specific

questions to assist these conversations in practice. Additionally, in light of

evidence showing the clinical benefits of patients reaching 'clear' (IGA 0)*,

the panel recommends that "complete clearance" of symptoms should be the primary

objective of any treatment regimen to reduce impact on quality of life and

maximize patient satisfaction.1

The rosacea treatment algorithm, developed by ROSCO in 2017, has been updated

with several new recommendations including the use of combination therapy to

benefit severe patients and those presenting with multiple features, in line

with latest clinical evidence.1-3

"Rosacea can sometimes present as a single feature, or more often as a

combination of features. Once we correctly diagnose our patients, and truly

understand their disease burden - both the visible and non-visible impact -

aiming for 'clear' (IGA 0) is possible, resulting in improved quality of life,

longer time to relapse, as well as reduced social and productivity burden." said

ROSCO Panel Co-Chair Prof. Dr. Martin Schaller, Deputy Medical Director,

Department of Dermatology, T�bingen University, Germany. "Given the

significant

benefits associated with achieving 'clear', it should become best practice to

aim for complete clearance of symptoms, working closely with our patients to

monitor their progress and adjust treatment accordingly."

ROSCO experts also recognize that previous guidance about transitioning towards

a rosacea signs and symptoms-led approach to diagnosis, has been well received,

with a rise in adoption and advocacy of the phenotype approach+ in standard

clinical practice.1-3

ROSCO expert feedback has also been used to develop the Rosacea Tracker

prototype tool, a clinical checklist to help dermatologists surpass challenges

to implementing the phenotype algorithm in clinical practice. Additional

consensus was gained on 7 patient case studies representing the common rosacea

phenotypes, providing support for dermatologists to identify these phenotypes in

everyday practice.1

"Optimizing management of our rosacea patients is crucial. This new clinical

tool can provide an ongoing record of a patient's rosacea features and helps

assess changes over time including their impact and treatment response," said

ROSCO Panel Co-Chair Prof. Dr. Jerry Tan, Adjunct Professor, Western University,

Windsor, Ontario, Canada. "There have not previously been easy-to-use, point of

care tools to assess all rosacea phenotypes. By using the ROSCO recommended

methodology and tools, we aim to improve and advance the care of patients with

this chronic skin disease."

The latest ROSCO recommendations provide a basis for local guideline development

to further improve the management of rosacea, and thus improve outcomes, for

rosacea patients globally.

* The success of rosacea treatment is usually defined as a score of 1 ('almost

clear') or 0 ('clear') on the 5-point Investigator Global Assessment (IGA)

scale. Several studies have shown that patients who achieve 'clear' (IGA 0), a

complete reduction in symptoms, experience an extended time to relapse and an

improved quality of life compared with patients who are 'almost clear' (IGA 1)4

+ A phenotype approach allows for rosacea diagnosis and management according to

a patient's presenting disease features, rather than grouping into pre-specified

subtypes1

References:

  1. Schaller M, et al. Recommendations for rosacea diagnosis, classification

     and management: Update from the global ROSacea COnsensus (ROSCO) 2019

     panel. Br J Dermatol. 2019 Aug 7. doi: 10.1111/bjd.18420 [Epub ahead of

     print].

  2. Tan J, et al. Updating the diagnosis, classification and assessment of

     rosacea: Recommendations from the global ROSacea COnsensus (ROSCO) panel.

     Br J Dermatol. 2016 Oct 8. doi: 10.1111/bjd.15122.

  3. Schaller M, et al. Rosacea treatment update: Recommendations from the

     global ROSacea COnsensus (ROSCO) panel. Br J Dermatol. 2016 Nov 12. doi:

     10.1111/bjd.15173.

  4. Webster G et al. J Dermatolog Treat. 2017;28(5):469-474.

Notes to Editors

About Rosacea

Rosacea is a common inflammatory skin disease that presents variable clinical

characteristics, of which the most common are flushing, permanent erythema, and

inflammatory lesions. It mainly affects the central areas of the face, such as

the cheeks and nose. The disease can affect both adult men and women, usually

after the age of 30. Additionally, symptoms such as stinging, burning and

increased sensitivity of the skin are common. The eyes are often affected, and

might present as red, dry or itchy.

Although the cause of the disease is still under debate, various trigger factors

are known, including spicy foods, alcohol, emotional stress, sun/UV-exposure,

hot baths and beverages. Demodex, generally harmless mites, can also be found in

the skin in an elevated quantity in people with rosacea. Rosacea may worsen over

time if left untreated. People that suspect they suffer from rosacea should

visit their dermatologist or healthcare provider for diagnosis and discuss what

treatment is right for them. Because rosacea is a highly visible disease, it is

known to cause embarrassment and anxiety in some patients, which in turn may

cause frustration and have a negative impact on their social life.

About the Global ROSacea COnsensus (ROSCO) 2019 panel

The Global ROSacea COnsensus (ROSCO) 2019 expert panel included 19

dermatologists from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy,

the Netherlands, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, the U.K and the U.S.A, and two

ophthalmologists from Germany and the U.S.A. Panel members reached consensus on

critical aspects of rosacea diagnosis and treatment by a modified Delphi

approach (e-surveys and group virtual meeting), by voting on each statement:

strongly disagree, disagree, agree or strongly agree (consensus defined as >=75%

agree/strongly agree). Statements that did not reach consensus in e-surveys were

refined through nominal group discussion at the meeting and re-voted on. All

voting was electronic and blinded.

Galderma funds the creation of ROSCO expert panel meetings and e-surveys, but is

not involved in the voting, discussion or handling of data.

About the British Journal of Dermatology

The journal is published by Wiley on behalf of The British Association of

Dermatologists, the central association of practising UK dermatologists. The

organization's aim is to continually improve the treatment and understanding of

skin disease. For further information about the charity, visit www.bad.org.uk.

Wiley is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly

publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic

and professional field and partnerships with many of the world's leading

societies. For more information, please visit www.wiley.com.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/971537/ROSCO_Logo.jpg

SOURCE ROSCO