SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. — A suffocation-based pediculicide developed by a dermatologist in his office may offer hope for regaining control over head lice, the bane of elementary school moms and the physicians they hound for a cure.
That was the word at the annual meeting of the California Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, where Alfred T. Lane, M.D., professor of dermatology and pediatrics at Stanford (Calif.) University, expressed great hope that Nuvo lotion will someday come to the marketplace.
Dr. Lane highlighted the formula, a dry-on, suffocation-based, pediculicide (DSP) as a possible “new vista in pediatric dermatology,” in keeping with the theme of his talk.
He explained that Nuvo lotion was developed in the Palo Alto, Calif., dermatology practice of Dale L. Pearlman, M.D., to take advantage of the physiology of the common head louse, which can hold its breath long enough to outlive physical blocking agents such as mayonnaise or petrolatum.
Dr. Pearlman created a formula out of nontoxic ingredients (stearyl alcohol, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, cetyl alcohol, and water, among others) that basically “shrink-wraps” lice when it dries on the hair, completely blocking their breathing holes, or spiracles.
The lotion is applied at home and dried on the hair with a hair dryer. It is invisible and should be left on the hair for at least 8 hours.
After three applications at 1-week intervals, Dr. Pearlman achieved a 96% cure rate and a remission rate of 94% in 133 patients enrolled in two office-based clinical trials. He published what Dr. Lane called “excellent, excellent data” last year (Pediatrics 2004;114:e275–9).
Removal of nits with a comb was not found to statistically improve the effectiveness of the treatment.
Dr. Lane pointed out that the protocol established by Dr. Pearlman did not require exhaustive household cleaning, but rather, simple washing of clothes, spinning of bed linens in the dryer, and running combs and brushes through the dishwasher.
Currently, Dr. Pearlman is attempting to find a pharmaceutical company to sponsor the formula; in the meantime, his Web site, http://nuvoforheadlice.com
Dr. Pearlman's article disclosed his financial interest in the product as its inventor; Dr. Lane has no financial ties to the product.