Once-daily topical use of Oxymetazoline cream at a concentration of 1% is effective and safe to relieve rosacea associated with erythema.

A systematic review and meta-analysis sought to analyze the advantages and drawbacks of utilizing 1% Oxymetazoline cream in real-world clinical practice, focusing on treatment response and the occurrence of adverse events in patients with rosacea-associated erythema.

Meta-analysis was performed on clinical studies available in online databases, which included Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed.  The analysis specifically focused on the data related to the use of once-daily, topical Oxymetazoline cream 1.0%.

The key effectiveness endpoints were the percentage of volunteers who attained a two-grade reduction from baseline on the Clinician Erythema Assessment score (CEA) or the Subject Self-Assessment for rosacea facial redness score (SSA). Treatment-related adverse events (TEAEs) was the safety endpoint ascertained.

Overall, 2298 volunteers were incorporated. By the 4th week of treatment, the Oxymetazoline group showed a 38% improvement in the two-grade CEA and a 25% improvement in the SSA. The overall rate of TEAEs in the Oxymetazoline group was 7%. Specifically, the rates of stinging/burning, pruritus, dryness, and scaling were 15%, 15%, 23%, and 17%, respectively, in the analysis of dermal tolerability. Notably, the rebound rate of erythema with topical Oxymetazoline cream 1.0% was very low, at just 1%.

These real-world data on Oxymetazoline cream 1% for rosacea-associated erythema can assist in clinical decision-making and provide valuable information about treatment expectations. Moreover, it suggests the potential for further clinical trials to investigate extended treatment durations or the combination of this cream with oral medication and energy-based therapies.