European Trial of Adjuvant Oral Glucocorticoid Pulse Therapy in Pemphigus

Summary

By this study, the investigators want to test if the value of adjuvant pulse glucocorticoid therapy for pemphigus can be determined by comparing an experimental arm (dexamethasone pulse therapy, prednisolone, and azathioprine) with a control arm (placebo pulse therapy, prednisolone, and azathioprine). The investigators will determine the rate of complete remission with dexamethasone pulse therapy; the time needed for complete remission; and the duration of remission, and compare these data with those of the placebo arm.

Timeline

Start

2001-01

Primary completion

—

Completion

2005-04

Outcome

Missed primary endpoint

paper We found no statistically significant difference (P>.05) of an adjuvant effect of DP on remission of pemphigus vulgaris. PMID 16702494 ↗

Publications

• Background Toth GG, van de Meer JB, Jonkman MF. Dexamethasone pulse therapy in pemphigus. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2002 Nov;16(6):607-11. doi: 10.1046/j.1468-3083.2002.00413.x.
• Background Toth GG, Westerlaken BO, Eilders M, Laseur M, Jonkman MF, Uges DR. Dexamethasone pharmacokinetics after high-dose oral therapy for pemphigus. Ann Pharmacother. 2002 Jun;36(6):1108-9. doi: 10.1345/aph.1A047. No abstract available.
• Background Toth GG, Kloosterman C, Uges DR, Jonkman MF. Pharmacokinetics of high-dose oral and intravenous dexamethasone. Ther Drug Monit. 1999 Oct;21(5):532-5. doi: 10.1097/00007691-199910000-00007.
• Background Toth GG, Jonkman MF. Therapy of pemphigus. Clin Dermatol. 2001 Nov-Dec;19(6):761-7. doi: 10.1016/s0738-081x(00)00190-5. No abstract available.
• Results Mentink LF, Mackenzie MW, Toth GG, Laseur M, Lambert FP, Veeger NJ, Cianchini G, Pavlovic MD, Jonkman MF. Randomized controlled trial of adjuvant oral dexamethasone pulse therapy in pemphigus vulgaris: PEMPULS trial. Arch Dermatol. 2006 May;142(5):570-6. doi: 10.1001/archderm.142.5.570.

Drugs

Indications