NSAIDs for Rosacea

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

"Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, usually abbreviated to NSAIDs or NAIDs , are drugs with analgesic, antipyretic and, in higher doses, anti-inflammatory effects - they reduce pain, fever and inflammation. The term "non-steroidal" is used to distinguish these drugs from steroids, which (among a broad range of other effects) have a similar eicosanoid-depressing, anti-inflammatory action. As analgesics, NSAIDs are unusual in that they are non-narcotic. NSAIDs are sometimes also referred to as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents/analgesics (NSAIAs) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIMs). The most prominent members of this group of drugs are aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen partly because they are available over-the-counter in many areas. (Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is classified as having antipyretic and analgesic properties, and is not an NSAID.)
Beginning in 1829, with the isolation of salicin from the folk remedy white willow bark, NSAIDs have become an important part of the pharmaceutical treatment of pain (at low doses) and inflammation (at higher doses). Part of the popularity of NSAIDs is that, unlike opioids, they do not produce sedation or respiratory depression and have a very low addiction rate. NSAIDs, however, are not without their own problems (see below). Certain NSAIDs, including ibuprofen and aspirin, have become accepted as relatively safe and are available over-the-counter without prescription in some countries." Wikipedia

NSAIDs include, but are not limited to, naproxen, nabumetone, diclofenac, sulindac, oxaprosin, diflunisal, bromfenac, aspirin, piroxicam, indomethacin, etodolac, ibuprofen, fenoprofen, flurbiprofen, ketorolac, nimesulide, NS-398, ketoprofen, trisalicylates, acetominophen, oxaprosin, salsalate, rofecoxib, and celecoxib.

NSAIDs are being used to treat rosacea due to its anti-inflammatory effects. For example:

A method of treating or preventing rosacea in a patient, comprising topical administration, of a pharmaceutical preparation comprising a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) selected from the group consisting of piroxicam, diclofenac, ibuprofen, oxaprozin, indomethacin,. isoxicam, ketoprofen, sulindac, tolmetin, flurbiprofen, meclofenamic acid, suprofen, tenoxicam, zomepirac, diflunisal, naproxen, fenoprofen, flufenamic acid, and aspirin, and combinations thereof. www.wipo.int

Methods of administering diclofenac compositions for treating rosacea
United States Patent Application 20060062750
A method of treating rosacea includes: (a) providing a composition containing 1-3 wt. % diclofenac or a salt thereof, 0.5-1.5 wt. % benzyl alcohol, 10-30 wt. % PEG monomethyl ether, 0.1-3.0 wt. % sodium hyaluronate; and 70-80 wt. % water; and (b) applying the composition, in an effective amount, to skin of a person in need of the treating. www.freepatentsonline.com

US Patent 7105172 - Treatment of rosacea
The present invention results from my discovery of a causal link between the activation of the bradykinin pathway and rosacea. Accordingly, the invention features a method of treating or preventing rosacea by administering a compound that inhibits a component or components of the bradykinin activation pathway.
By "a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)" is meant a compound that prevents or reduces inflammation. Preferred NSAIDs include, but are not limited to, naproxen, nabumetone, diclofenac, sulindac, oxaprosin, diflunisal, bromfenac, aspirin, piroxicam, indomethacin, etodolac, ibuprofen, fenoprofen, flurbiprofen, ketorolac, nimesulide, NS-398, ketoprofen, trisalicylates, acetominophen, oxaprosin, salsalate, rofecoxib, and celecoxib.

The present invention has the advantage of providing novel targets to regulate in the treatment of rosacea and to provide treatment alternatives to antibiotics. The antibiotics may have limited efficacy and cause adverse effects such as gastrointestinal intolerance, photosensitivity, the development of antibiotic-resistant infections, and yeast infections.

BigPatents India
ANTI - ACNE ROSACEA GEL COMPOSITION CONTAINING RUPTURABLE BEADS OF A NSAID
Application 638/MUM/2008 published 2008-04-18, filed 2008-03-26

"In correspondence, published by the American Medical Association, oral administration of NSAID's, such as Motrin (oral ibuprofen), in full doses (tablets of 800 mg) is suggested during periods of high activity of rosacea. However, this modality cannot be recommended due to the known gastrointestinal side effects, which occur in high incidence of 4-16%.

There remains a need therefore for a safe and effective treatment for rosacea to supplement or supplant current treatments.

Summary of the invention The present invention comprises pharmaceutical preparations having enhanced efficacy for topical treatment of rosacea. These preparations comprise an NSAID as the therapeutic agent for the topical treatment of rosacea.

Another aspect of this invention involves the use of an NSAID in combination with a nitroimidazole, for the treatment of rosacea." www.wipo.int

"NSAIDs also play a role in the treatment of ocular surface disease, said Robert Latkany, M.D., founder and director, Dry Eye Clinic, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York.
“I use them in patients with ocular rosacea, allergic conjunctivitis, and dry eye,” he said. “They don’t work 100% of the time, but there’s a subgroup of patients who benefit nicely from them. And I think they’re safer than steroids.” He finds that ocular rosacea patients with secondary dry eye benefit the most from their use, with some patients taking them for months at a time, while others just use them as needed to quiet their symptoms.
Dr. Latkany also has used NSAIDs in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome. “They’re a reasonable option,” he said."
Ocular pharmacology
NSAIDs make a comeback