Liarozole for treatment of lamellar ichthyosis

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, August, 2007 by Marissa Heller

Barrier Therapeutics, Inc recently announced results from its phase II/III trial of liarozole in the treatment of lamellar ichthyosis. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled dose-ranging study, enrolled 64 patients and randomized them into 3 treatment groups. The 3 treatment groups were patients receiving placebo, 75 mg of liarozole, or 150 mg of liarozole daily for 12 weeks.

Results showed that liarozole effectively treated 41% of patients receiving the 75 mg dose and 50% of patients receiving the 150 mg dose. The medication was well-tolerated in all treatment arms. Liarozole is an inhibitor of retinoic acid metabolism. It received orphan drug designation from the FDA in the treatment of congenital ichthyosis in 2004.