A new prescription gel may quickly treat a common precancerous skin condition called actinic keratosis, a new study shows.
The gel is derived from the sap of the Euphorbia peplus plant. This has long been used as a folk remedy for skin lesions.
The new gel, Picato (ingenol mebutate, see below structure), is applied once daily for two or three days, depending on the area being treated. Other available topical treatments must be used for several weeks, and often irritate the skin. Cryotherapy, or freezing the affected skin area, is also used but can sometimes leave a scar.
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Because the new gel is only used for a few days, any irritation is usually short-lived. The short duration also makes people more likely to stay the course, another advantage, according to the study’s authors.
“The shorter application period is what makes ingenol mebutate a breakthrough in the treatment of actinic keratosis,” researcher Mark Lebwohl, MD, says in a news release. He is a professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
