CDC adds Veregen as therapeutic option

Florham Park, N.J. - PharmaDerm, based here, has announced that its Veregen Ointment (sinecatechins, 15 percent), a topical medication for the treatment of external genital and perianal warts, has been added as a new therapeutic option in the 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, PRNewswire reports.

The new CDC report was published in the Dec. 17 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Veregen is listed as a patient-applied option as part of the “Recommended Regimens for External Genital Warts” section of the guidelines. External genital warts (EGWs), the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States, are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Some 20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV and 6.2 million people become infected every year.

Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in October 2006, Veregen is derived from green tea leaves and contains a proprietary mixture of catechins and other green tea components. The health benefits associated with green tea catechins are attributed in part to their antioxidative, immunostimulatory and antiviral properties.

Veregen has been shown to be effective in clearing existing and new EGWs, with complete clearance in 53.6 percent of all patients treated in two phase 3 studies. The ointment also demonstrated low recurrence rates (6.8 percent) at 12 weeks post-treatment during the trials. The most common adverse reactions were at the application site. These included reddening of the skin, itching, burning, pain or discomfort, skin ulcers, skin wear, swelling, hard spots and blistered rashes.