Aminolevulinic acid (topical, for photodynamic therapy)
Aminolevulinic acid is painted on sun-damaged skin and then activated with a lamp, destroying actinic keratoses before they can become skin cancer; in Europe the gel is also approved for superficial basal cell carcinoma.
Overview
Levulan Kerastick (aminolevulinic acid 20% solution) with BLU-U blue light was approved in December 1999 for actinic keratoses of the face and scalp; Ameluz (10% nanoemulsion gel) with the BF-RhodoLED red lamp followed in May 2016 for lesion- and field-directed treatment of mild to moderate actinic keratosis, on three randomised trials with complete clearance in the majority of patients. The EU authorised Ameluz in 2011 and extended it in 2017 to superficial and nodular basal cell carcinoma unsuitable for surgery. Photodynamic therapy is a field treatment for precancerous skin; pain during illumination and local erythema are expected. Oral aminolevulinic acid (Gleolan) for fluorescence-guided glioma surgery is an imaging agent covered elsewhere.
Approvals
| Region | Year | Indication |
|---|---|---|
| US | 1999 | Actinic keratoses of the face and scalp with blue-light photodynamic therapy (Levulan Kerastick) |
| US | 2016 | Mild to moderate actinic keratosis of face and scalp with red-light PDT (Ameluz) |
| EU | 2011 | Actinic keratosis; superficial and nodular basal cell carcinoma added 2017 (Ameluz) |
Trials
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Latest papers
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