Conditions: Actinic Keratosis
Keywords: actinic keratosis skin disease
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 247
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of imiquimod cream versus placebo cream when used after cryosurgery in the treatment of actinic keratoses (AKs).

Detailed description:
In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the efficacy and safety of imiquimod 3.75% cream following cryosurgery to treat clinically typical visible or palpable AK lesions on the face was compared with that of placebo cream. Based on a 1:1 randomization, approximately 120 subjects applied imiquimod 3.75% cream daily (up to 500 mg cream daily \[18.75 mg imiquimod\]) and approximately 120 subjects applied placebo cream daily during two 2-week periods (Cycle 1 and Cycle 2) separated by 2 weeks of no treatment. Subjects visited the clinic 9 times-1 screening/cryosurgery visit (additional visits might be needed during the screening period to assess healing from the cryosurgery), 4 treatment visits(treatment initiation at Weeks 0 and 4 and treatment follow-up at the end of Weeks 2 and 6), and 4 posttreatment visits (4, 8, 14, and 20 weeks after the last administration of study treatment at the end of Week 6). The total study duration for a subject, including a 2-week screening period, was up to 28 weeks.

Prior to cryosurgery, subjects had to have ≥10 clinically typical visible or palpable AK lesions in an area that exceeded 25 cm\^2 on the face to be eligible for participation in the study. At screening, a minimum of 5 visible lesions were not treated with cryosurgery, and 5 to 14 visible lesions were treated with cryosurgery. Subjects had to have at least 5 AK lesions after the skin healed sufficiently from the cryosurgery to be eligible for randomization to either imiquimod 3.75% or placebo cream. Subjects applied up to 2 packets of study cream (500 mg total) as a thin layer to the entire face, avoiding the periocular areas, lips, and nares; ears were excluded from both assessment and treatment. Study cream was applied prior to normal sleeping hours and removed approximately 8 hours later with mild soap and water. Rest periods from daily treatment could be approved by the investigator as needed, with treatment resumption at the investigator's discretion.

Arms:
arm 1: placebo cream in 250mg/packet, up to 2 packets applied daily arm 2: Imiquimod 3.75% cream, 250 mg single-use packets, up to 2 packets applied daily

Interventions: intervention 1: imiquimod cream intervention 2: placebo cream
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Imiquimod 3.75% cream (250 mg/packet) up to 2 packets applied daily Two 2-week treatment periods (Cycle 1 and Cycle 2) separated by a 2-week no-treatment period intervention 2: cream applied once daily for two 2-week treatment periods (Cycle 1 and Cycle 2) separated by a 2-week no-treatment period

Protocol document: