FDA Approves First Oral Rosacea Treatment

CollaGenex said Tuesday it has received U.S. approval to market Oracea, which the company said is the first approved oral rosacea drug.

The company said the Food and Drug Administration has cleared for market Oracea to treat adults with the inflammatory lesions, including papules and pustules, caused by the skin condition.

CollaGenex said it would roll out the new dermatologic drug in July.

"Oracea is the first FDA-approved, orally-administered, systemically-delivered drug to treat rosacea," the company said in a statement.

Rosacea affects about 14 million adults in the United States, CollaGenex said.

"Oracea is the first of a series of dermatology products we have in development, and we are very pleased that our NDA was approved by the FDA within 10 months of submission," said Colin Stewart, CollaGenex's president and chief executive officer.

The Rosacea Sun Care Picture

Rosacea-Ltd believes that total skin care and rosacea treatment involves much more than treating the damage that has already occurred. Effective rosacea treatment and skin care also involves preventive rosacea skin care. The use of sun screens is just one of these preventive skin care measures.

Sunscreens are designed to protect against sunburn (UVB rays) and generally provide little protection against UVA rays. Sunscreens work by reacting chemically with the skin cells to protect them from the UVB rays of the sun. Unfortunately for those who suffer with rosacea, the ingredients in protective sunscreens can actually cause a sunburn-like photosensitive reaction. This reaction includes a rash or itchy red breakouts that can persist for days giving an appearance similar to rosacea. Studies by the Australian Journal of Dermatology indicate that 81% of the reactions caused by photosensitive persons were caused by two primary ingredients- oxybenzone and butyl methoxydibenzoyl methane.

Chemical sunscreens contain chemicals such as benzophenone or oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) as the active ingredient. They prevent sunburn by absorbing the ultraviolet (UVB) rays. Most chemical sunscreens contain from 2 to 5% of benzophenone or its derivatives (oxybenzone, benzophenone-3) as their active ingredient. Benzophenone is one of the most powerful free radicals generally known to science. It is used in industrial processes to initiate chemical reactions and promote cross-linking. Benzophenone is activated by ultraviolet light. The absorbed energy breaks benzophenone's double bond to produce two free radical sites. This explains why most chemical sunscreens cause various degrees of redness and sensitivity to rosacea sufferers.

The Earliest Treatments For Rosacea

The earliest treatments for rosacea were quite different from the rosacea treatments of today. Historical Notes on Rosacea by J. de Bersaques, describes early rosacea treatments including blood-letting from veins in the arm, forehead and nose, and the method of applying leeches on affected areas of the face to treat rosacea. The use of topical treatments in the form of salves for the treatment of rosacea was first referred to in the 16th century. We have seen great improvements in rosacea treatments.

The Picture Of Rosacea Skin Care

Rosacea sufferers have very specific needs as far as skin care. Some products often prescribed or used for the treatment of rosacea, may in fact have ingredients which are irritating to rosacea skin. Some of the harsher ingredients to avoid  include: retinol, vitamin A or vitamin C, alcohol, any type of acids, benzoyl peroxide. Many others however are quite effective and very user friendly.

Elementary Facts And Theories On Rosacea

Of interest may be the Rosacea Introduction to help the beginner. This is precisely the case for elementary materials on rosacea, the treatment thereof, and on elementary theories that are of great interest to the beginner in the search basics of rosacea. Hopefully, it will be most entertaining for the beginning of your quest for a much greater knowledge. And of particular interest is after trying the treatments, you will find that you are back where you began except minus a few thousand dollars and a few years of your life. So Look further for rosacea items of interest. The home page of this publication states: "Rosacea is not sensitive skin." So now you have learned 'something NEW or could the author be uninformed as writing is 'not being a rosacea sufferer'. As rosacea skin is a inflammatory skin disorder that is most 'sensitive that affects the rosacea sufferers comfort, social life, financial welfare as to job promotions, and emotional and psychological happiness. We bet that you have sensitive skin very much 'unlike the authors writings' ?

Further the author writes, "Rosacea: An Introduction — Rosacea Symptoms &; Characteristics: Rosacea is a common, chronic inflammatory disorder, usually affecting the central portion of the face and occasionally the V-shaped area of the chest, the back and even the scalp. Rosacea is actually quite easy to spot and is characterized by: lasting facial redness telangiectasia (first dilated capillaries and later broken capillaries) in later rosacea stages: lesions that look like acne papules and pustules. Rosacea is not contagious, although the demodex mites arguably implicated in rosacea can be passed along. There are also hereditary and psychological factors associated with rosacea." You may see "rosacea on your scalp",? well we hope not as you would be the very first case. And there are more things to consider by this author as you read the web site.

In the Rosacea Picture Your Face Tells The Story

It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, but when it comes to health, your face can tell the true story. We all know that tiredness can dull skin tone and that stress may bring out spots, but the same cause-and-effect relationship can be seen for more serious health concerns.
The balance required for healthy skin is so delicate that a problem elsewhere in the body is often likely to affect your complexion.

So, when you visit your GP with an unspecified grumble, he or she may well have an idea about what's wrong before you've even removed your coat.
These signs in themselves are not proof of any medical condition and would never be sufficient for a conclusive diagnosis, but your skin can and does give off warning signs that more investigation may be required.
But how much do you know about what your skin is saying? What do spots on your chin indicate, and why won't that dry patch disappear? We consulted the experts to find out.

ROSACEA may begin as a simple tendency to flush or blush easily, then progress to a persistent redness in the central portion of your face. Your skin may become overly sensitive and these symptoms are sometimes accompanied by oily facial skin and dandruff on the scalp.
In addition, more than half the people who suffer from rosacea experience ocular rosacea, a burning and gritty sensation in the eyes. Rosacea may cause the inner skin of the eyelids to become inflamed or appear scaly, a condition known as conjunctivitis.
Research has not yet shown what causes rosacea - some health professionals believe it to be a blood-vessel disorder, and others that it is a bacterial infection.
Contrary to myth, alcohol does not cause rosacea. While the consumption of alcohol can lead to flushing of the skin and may make rosacea appear worse, there is no link. "A rash in this area could be rosacea, or may indicate a condition called lupus, where the body produces antibodies to its own cells," says Clayton. "Lupus is a serious problem causing arthritis, kidney and lung damage, so it is important to seek advice from your GP."

Kligman's Picture of The Stages Of Rosacea

Stages - Plewig and Kligman Classification of Rosacea

(Taken from their book, Acne and Rosacea, Second Edition, 1993)

Stage I: The erythema (redness) may persist for hours and days, hence the old term erthema congestivum (redness congestion). Erythema lasting only a few minutes is not early rosacea. Telangiectases becomes progressively prominent, forming sprays on the nose, nasolabial folds, checks, and glabella. Most of these patients complain of sensitive skin that stings, burns, and itches after application of a variety of cosmetics, especially certain fragrances and sunscreens. Trauma from abrasives and peeling agents readily induces long-lasting erythema, thus the facial skin is unusually vulnerable to chemical and physical stimuli.

Stage II: Inflammatory papules and pustules crop up and persist for weeks. Some papules show a small pustule at the apex, justifying the term papulopustular. The lesions are always follicular in origin, mainly in sebaceous follicles but also in the smaller and more numerous vellus follicles. Comedones do not occur. The deeper inflammatory lesions may heal with scarring, but scars are inconspicuous and tend to be shallow. Facial pores become larger and prominent. If there has been much solar exposure over decades, the stigmata of photodamaged skin becomes superimposed, namely yellowed, leathered skin (elastosis), wrinkles and solar comedones. The papulopustular attacks become more and more frequent. Finally, rosacea may extend over the entire face and even spread to the scalp, especially if the patient is balding. Itchy follicular pustules of the scalp are typical. Eventually, the sides of the neck as well as the retroauricular and presternal area may be affected.

Stage III: A small proportion of patients develop more serious expressions of the disease, namely large inflammatory nodules, furunculoid infiltrations, and tissue hyperplasia. These derangements occur particularly on the cheeks and nose, less often on the chin, forehead, or ears. The facial contours gradually become coarse, thickened, and irregular. Curiously, patients may not notice these disfigurements. The deranged appearance becomes evident when photographs from previous years are reviewed. Finally, the patient shows diffusely inflamed, thickened, edematous skin with large pores, resembling the peel of an orange. These coarse features are due to extensively inflammatory infiltration, connective tissue hypertrophy, massive fibrosis and elastosis, diffuse sebaceous gland hyperplasia, and extreme enlargement of individual sebaceous glands forming dozens of yellowish unbilicated papules on the cheeks, forehead, temples, and nose. Thickened folds and ridges may create a grotesque appearance mimicking leonine facies of leprosy or leukemia. The ultimate deformity is the phymas, of which rhinophyma is the prototype.