Methods and compositions for safe and effective treatment of erythema
Improved methods and compositions for safe and effective treatment of erythema or a symptom associated with erythema in a subject are described. The methods involve topically applying to an affected skin area a topical composition comprising about 0.3% to about 10% by weight of brimonidine and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
1. A method of treating facial erythema associated with rosacea in a subject in need thereof without causing unacceptable drug related adverse events, comprising once daily topically administering to a skin area of the subject affected by the facial erythema a topical composition comprising, relative to the total weight of the composition:
0.5% by weight of brimonidine tartrate;
about 8.0% to about 30.0% by weight in total of at least one polyol;
about 0.20% to about 4.0% by weight of a gelling agent; and
a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the topical composition comprises about 0.5% to about 2.0% by weight of the gelling agent.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the gelling agent comprises a carbomer.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the carbomer is selected from the group consisting of carbomer 934P, carbomer 974P, and carbomer 980.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the topical composition comprises a first polyol and a second polyol, and the amount of each of the first and second polyols in the composition is independently about 4 to 15% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition.
6. A method of treating facial erythema associated with rosacea in a subject in need thereof without causing unacceptable drug related adverse events, comprising once daily topically administering to a skin area of the subject affected by the facial erythema a topical composition comprising, relative to the total weight of the composition:
0.5% by weight of a brimonidine tartrate;
about 5.0% to about 15.0% by weight of at least one polyol;
about 0.5% to about 2.0% by weight of a gelling agent; and
a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier,
wherein the gelling agent comprises a carbomer selected from the group consisting of carbomer 934P, carbomer 974P, and carbomer 980.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the topical composition further comprises a preservative selected from the group consisting of sodium benzoate, phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, methylparaben, imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea.