News
February 12, 2020
By Cheryl Guttman Krader, BS, Pharm
Positive results from a feasibility study investigating non-thermal Nano-Pulse Stimulation (NPS, Pulse Biosciences) for treating cutaneous non-genital warts have led to a larger multicenter study that aims to optimize the treatment parameters and hopefully replicate the early evidence of its efficacy and safety, says Gilly S. Munavalli, M.D., M.H.S.
The initial study enrolled 19 patients, of which a sizeable proportion had warts considered “difficult-to-treat” based on their location or failure to be cleared by other modalities. Even so, clinical and dermoscopic assessments showed that approximately 60% of treated lesions were cleared after one or two treatments with NPS.
Performed under local anesthesia, the NPS treatment was well-tolerated and associated with generally favorable cosmetic results. Impressively, clearance was also noted for many untreated, non-contiguous warts, reported Dr. Munavalli, assistant clinical professor of dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C., and founder and medical director, Dermatology, Laser and Vein Specialists of the Carolinas, Charlotte, N.C.
“Patients seek treatment for non-genital warts because they can cause discomfort and, if visible, carry a social stigma. Some warts, particularly plantar warts, can be very refractory to our currently used treatment approaches,” he says.
“The results from the first human investigation of NPS treatment for non-genital warts are encouraging. Now we look forward to analyzing data from the larger study and the possibility of having another option to treat what can be a bothersome problem.”