5th Annual Meeting of the Society for Dermopharmacy e.V. in Zurich on March 28, 2001

Press Releases

Information in brief - News from the 5th Annual Meeting
Appropriate treatment instead of playing down the disease
More transparency for consumers and experts
Equally important - good tolerability and effectiveness
Development of dermopharmacy portal in planning

Press photos

Problem area of the athlete's foot disease
Certificate for dermocosmetics
GD homepage "www.gd-online.de"

The interview partners at the press conference were:

Lecturer Dr. Christian Surber, Basle (scientific conference head)
Dr. Joachim Kresken, Viersen (GD president)
Prof. Dr. Rolf Daniels, Braunschweig (head of the GD department dermocosmetics)
Prof. Dr. med. Hans Christian Korting, München (GD vice president)
Dr. Siegfried Wallat, Düsseldorf (member of the board and GD Webmaster)

Moderation:

Kaspar Müller-Bringmann (Medienbüro Müller Bringmann)

In brief

One of three persons suffers from athlete's foot disease

The athlete's foot disease (mycosis pedis) is a significant infection disease of the skin which may lead to the emergence of secondary diseases in case of missing or insufficient treatment. The GD - Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie emphasized this issue during its 5th Annual Meeting in Zurich. A major European study, the Achilles project, has shown that approximately one third of the population of industrial nations suffers from this disease. In most cases the toe interspace is seized, however fungal infections can also appear at every other place of the foot. The GD president, pharmacist Dr. Joachim Kresken, made an appeal that the infection may also spread to the nails and produce a so-called nail mycosis caused by a missing or too late treatment of the disease. Furthermore, a fungal infection induces the skin barrier to become more pervious so that other pathogenic agents can equally penetrate the skin more easily and induce secondary diseases. According to Kresken's statement numerous preparations are available for the treatment of the mycosis pedis which are all effective and safe. Especially recommendable is a cream containing the active substance Terbinafin. As of beginning this year this cream is no longer a prescription drug and since this point of time obtainable in pharmacies without prescription. The advantage of this preparation lies in the fact that the application within a period of only seven days leads to a safe destroying of the fungi. For other preparations a treatment duration of in minimum double this time is required as a rule.

More transparency for Consumers and Experts

Professor Dr. Rolf Daniels explained on the occasion of the GD's 5th Annual Meeting in Zurich that the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie (GD) will offer a certification procedure from now on for cosmetics coming up to certain quality standards. The GD will establish guidelines for this purpose describing these quality requirements. Producers fulfilling these requirements can apply for a certificate as well as a seal of quality by the GD for their products. The quality check will be performed by independent experts. Up to now guidelines for care and cleansing products especially recommended for application at dry skin have been established. In accordance with these guidelines, cleansing products for dry skin should have besides a satisfactory cleansing effect also a good skin tolerability. By applying of these products no excessive dehydration, degreasing, barrier disturbance or irritation may appear. If the producer attributes in addition to the cleansing effect also an increase of the fat or humidity content, a stablisation of the barrier function, a skin smoothing or other care effect then this property is also subject to proof in the scope of this certification procedure. In the GD's view, consumers should in future orient their purchasing decisions and as well the advisory experts their recommendation attitude on the fact whether or not producers prove the suitability of their products with the example of sound examination results. A confirmation of an independent scientific specialist society and furthermore an apparent seal of quality printed on the packing facilitates getting an overview of the products for all persons involved.

Pantothenyl alcohol: effective at good tolerability

It is true that the principle the older the better does not apply to medicinal agents and cosmetic active substances in a similar way than to excellent red wines, however at times they experience a generally positive assessment only after decades of use in science. A current example for this phenomenon is the active substance pantothenyl alcohol: introduced in the wound-healing therapy already fifty years ago, only recently there are results from studies giving evidence about the actual effectiveness on hand. The dermatologist Professor Dr. med. Hans Christian Korting from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich pointed this out at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie (GD) in Zurich. It has been known for a long time that pantothenyl alcohol has a positive influence on the cells of the upper dermal layers. New, however, is the discovery relating to the substance's actual dermatological benefit: Korting quoted in Zurich a study recently published in a magazine for dermatological diseases by Presto and his colleagues according to which a statistically significant acceleration of regeneration at the upper dermal layers could be diagnosed for a hand care cream containing five per cent pantothenyl alcohol. Against the background of the one mentioned and other studies, Korting holds the opinion that at the time being it is safe to assume that pantothenyl alcohol is not only a well tolerable but at the same time effective substance which can be used for dermatological medicaments and cosmetic preparations. This applies in the same way to the field of superficial wounds as already known for a long time as also to the application at all skin conditions connected with a disturbed epidermal barrier function. The latter is the case with neurodermitis and the irritative impairment of skin in the occupational field.

Homepage of the Society for Dermopharmacy (Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie)

More than 6000 users within the last nine months and even approximately hundred per day at present: on the occasion of the GD's 5th Annual Meeting in Zurich, Dr. Siegfried Wallat, member of the GD's board pointed out that the GD homepage (www.gd-online.de) enjoys a great popularity remarkable for such a subject-specific offer in the internet. He attributes this success to the fact that the information is available in German and mostly also in English language. About thirty per cent of the users reach the homepage by subject-specific keywords via the international search engines and investigate information relating to a special field, Wallat reported. Besides, the press reports and GD guidelines are often retrieved. Wallat assumes that in this case mainly journalists and medicinally interested amateurs consult the homepage. The success of the homepage so far shows that the GD's statutory purpose to spread latest findings from the fields of dermopharmacy, dermatology and cosmetology for the benefit of the general public is taken advantage of by an extensive circle of interested parties. The GD homepage is regularly updated, a fact which certainly contributes to its success. Altogether the information offered in the homepage comprises meanwhile far more than 1000 pages DIN A 4 and can be filtered in an effective and rapid way by means of a search function. In future the GD will extend its homepage into a portal for dermopharmaceutic subjects. The first steps in this direction have already been taken: the online-versions of the GD-own scientific magazine DermoTopics and the specialist journal "Skin Care Forum" published by a sponsoring member of the GD can be retrieved via the GD homepage.

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Every third person suffers from the athlete's foot disease

Appropriate treatment instead of playing down the disease

Zurich - "Show me your feet, show me your shoes" goes a well-known German children's song which points to the importance of the feet for a healthful life. Although feet belong to the most strained parts of the human body, apparently many persons only pay too little attention to them: thus for instance athlete's foot diseases are often overlooked or played down by the persons concerned. Nevertheless athlete's foot (mycosis pedis) is a major infectious disease of the skin which can at missing or insufficient treatment entail the emergence of secondary diseases: this information has been imparted at the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie's 5th Annual Meeting on 28 March in Zurich.

To the targets of this international specialist society belongs among others the spreading of latest findings in the field of prevention and treatment of skin diseases. As the GD's president, pharmacist, Dr. Joachim Kresken explained in Zurich, mycosis pedis are far more common than assumed so far. According to the results of a major European study, the Achilles project, about one third of the population of industrial nations suffers from mycosis pedis. Most frequently the toe interspaces are seized. However, equally at every other place of the feet fungal infections can occur. The infected places show reddenings, scales, small blisters, pustules or crusts which at times lead to painful itching.

As Kresken further explained, the disease is indirectly transmitted by infected skin particles from one person to the other. Especially in public baths, saunas, fitness centers and other humid areas infections can increasingly appear. The steadily growing number of visits to such institutes is a reason for the frequent occurrence of the disease. In case of a missing or too late treatment, the infection can also spread to the nails and induce a nail mycosis with considerable consecutive symptoms. In addition, a fungus infection induces the natural skin barrier to become more pervious so that then also other pathogenic agents can penetrate the skin more easily and cause secondary diseases. Kresken mentioned as example the erysipelas at the lower leg. This is a serious bacterial skin disease which coincides amazingly often with a mycosis pedis.

According to Kresken numerous preparations are available for the treatment of the athlete's foot disease which are equally effective and safe. Particularly recommendable is a cream with the active substance Terbinafin which is no longer a prescription drug and obtainable in pharmacies since then. The advantage of this preparation is that a seven-day application is sufficient to ensure a safe destroying of the fungi. In contrast other preparations require in general a treatment period of at least double the time.

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Society for Dermopharmacy (GD - Gesellschaft fuer Dermopharmazie) introduces certification procedure for dermocosmetics

More transparency for Consumers and Experts

Zurich - The Gesellschaft fuer Dermopharmazie (GD) intends to introduce a certification procedure for cosmetics fulfilling certain quality standards, explained professor Dr. Rolf Daniels, head of the GD department dermocosmetics at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie in Zurich. When adhering to the requirements formulated by the GD in guidelines, interested producers can apply for a certificate as well as for the authorization to obtain a quality seal from the GD for their products. The test will be performed by independent experts.

The members of the department have already adopted two guidelines. They deal with cleansing and care products especially recommended for the application at dry skin. The addressees of these guidelines are experts marketing, developping, producing, testing, analysing and informing about cosmetics. In addition, the GD will in short publish an information brochure as supplementation for consumers. Following the guidelines "Dermocosmetics for the care of dry skin" already published in 1999, Daniels presented now in Zurich the guidelines "Dermocosmetics for the cleansing of dry skin" to the general public. The GD designates by dermocosmetics cosmetic preparations for which the application purpose is reached under co-consideration of dermatological and pharmaceutical aspects.

Cleansing products for dry skin should have a good skin tolerability besides a satisfactory cleansing effect. The application of these products mustn't entail an excessive dehydration, degreasing, barrier disturbance or irritation of skin. For testing of the skin tolerability the guidelines refer to methods leading to relevant and reproducible results. In case the producer attributes also an increased fat or humidity content, a stabilization of the barrier function, a skin smoothing or a different care effect besides the cleansing effect, then he should prove these properties with corresponding methods.

In the GD's view, consumers should orient their purchasing decisions as well as the advising experts their recommendation attitude according to the fact whether or not the producers are able to prove the suitability of their products on the basis of such substantiated test results. If this is confirmed by a certificate of an independent scientific specialist society and furthermore apparent by means of a quality seal printed on the packing then a better overview is ensured and the orientation for all involved facilitated.

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Active substance Pantothenyl alcohol

Equally important - good tolerability and effectiveness

Zurich - it is true that the principle the older the better does not apply to medicinal agents and cosmetic active substances similar to excellent red wines, however at times they experience a generally positive assessment only after decades of use in science. A current example for this phenomenon is the active substance pantothenyl alcohol: introduced already more than fifty years ago in the wound-healing therapy, only recently latest study results are available ensuring the concept of the actual effectiveness. This has been emphasized by the dermatologist professor Dr. med. Hans Christian Korting of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich on the occasion of the GD's 5th Annual Meeting on 28 March in Zurich.

After absorption in skin pantothenyl alcohol is converted into pantothenic acid (vitamine B5). This is why the effects of pantothenic acid can be induced in skin by applying of pantothenyl alcohol. Pantothenic acid is an integral component of the koenzym A, a crucial molecule of the cell metabolism. Due to the fact that there is a relatively high consumption of koenzym A especially in skin, pantothenic acid is estimated as essential for the normal function of the epidermis. In case of disturbances of the epidermis there is an increased requirement for this substance.

For a long time already there has been evidence available on the basis of in vitro tests that there is a positive influence by pantothenyl alcohol on epithelial cells. Furthermore, it is known from a so to speak classical study regarding dermatopharmacokinetics that the active substance is in a position to penetrate skin after topical application. In contrast to this, findings as to the real dermatological benefit of the substance could only be gained in the recent past.: Korting quoted in Zurich a recently published study in a magazine for dermatological diseases by Presto and his colleagues according to which a statistically significant acceleration of epidermal regeneration both compared with a placebo and also the control could be found for a hand care cream containing five per cent pantothenyl alcohol in an established wound-healing model. Main target parameter of this test was the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) which is intensified as against to the normal condition at an impairment of the epidermal barrier.

Against the background of this and further studies published in the past according to Korting's opinion it can be assumed that pantothenyl alcohol is not only a well tolerable but also effective substance which can be used in dermatological medicaments and cosmetical preparations. This equally applies to the field of healing of superficial wounds already practised for a long time and as well to the application at all skin conditions connected with a disturbed epidermal barrier function. The latter is for example the case for neurodermitis and for irritative impairment of skin in the occupational sector.

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Homepage of the Society for Dermopharmacy (GD - Gesellschaft fuer Dermopharmazie)

Development of dermopharmacy portal

Zurich - more than 6000 users in the last nine months and currently even about one hundred users a day: the homepage of the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie (www.gd-online.de) enjoys great popularity remarkable for a subject-specific internet offer of the kind, emphasized Dr. Siegfried Wallat, member of the GD's board at a press conversation on the occasion of the 5th GD's Annual Meeting on 28 March 2001 in Zurich. He attributed the success of the GD homepage to the fact that the information is available in German and for the most part also in English. In addition, the website is analyzed by international search engines on a continuous basis. For example Alltheweb, Fireball and Yahoo show many references to GD-pages, the same applies to Lycos. Regular information about the GD website in specialist magazines leads to constantly new users retrieving the homepage.

Approximately 30 per cent of the users reach the homepage by means of specialist keywords via the international search engines investigating information with regard to a special field, explained Wallat, who manages the GD's offer in the internet in his function as a webmaster. Besides, press reports and GD guidelines are amazingly often retrieved. Wallat supposes that mainly journalists and interested amateurs search for this information. The success of the homepage so far shows that the statutory target of the GD to spread latest findings from the fields of dermopharmacy, dermatology and cosmetology for the benefit of the general public is taken advantage of by a large group of interested people.

Additionally the regular update contributes to the success of the GD homepage. Thus besides scientific original articles and current reports from the individual departments the abstracts of the lectures held at the GD's 5th Annual Meeting will be available already beginning of April. Furthermore, the program of the GD Symposium "Effects of Dermocosmetics" taking place on 17 October in Düsseldorf can then be looked up. Altogether the information offered comprises meanwhile far more than 1000 DIN A 4 pages which can be filtered rapidly and effectively by means of search functions.

In future the GD will extend its homepage to a portal for dermopharmaceutic subjects. First steps in this direction have already been taken: the GD-own scientific journal DermoTopics, the first issue of which was published in October of last year is available online both in a German (www.dermotopics.de) and in an English version (www.dermotopics.com)
DermoTopics is linked in the same way as the specialist journal "Skin Care Forum" (www.scf-online.com) published by a sponsoring member of the GD. Skin Care Forum is equally based on a bilingual concept and addresses experts working in the field of production and marketing of cosmetics. Further cooperations with scientific specialist societies and sponsoring members of the GD are to follow.

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Press photos 2001

Problem area of the athlete's foot disease



Photo: K. Müller-Bringmann / GD

The Society for Dermopharmacy pointed out the problem of athlete's foot disease on the occasion of its 5th annual meeting in Zurich. Among other things, it is important to dry off the toe gaps thoroughly after taking a shower.

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Certificate for dermocosmetics



Photo: K. Müller-Bringmann / GD

So it looks, the new certificate for dermocosmetics to the cleansing and care of dry skin. The GD-Gesellschaft fuer Dermopharmazie introduced the Certificate to a wide public at its 5th annual meeting in Zurich.

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GD portal"www.gd-online.de"


Photo: K. Müller-Bringmann / GD

The home page of the GD-Gesellschaft fuer Dermopharmazie offers under the internet address "www.gd-online.de" much worth knowing around the topics skin care and prevention of skin illnesses.

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Press conference of the Society for Dermopharmacy in Zurich 2001


From right to left: PD Dr. Christian Surber, Dr. Joachim Kresken,
Prof. Dr. med. Hans Christian Korting, Prof. Dr. Rolf Daniels, Dr. Siegfried Wallat


PD Dr. Christian Surber (left), Kaspar Müller-Bringmann


Dr. Joachim Kresken (left), PD Dr. Christian Surber

 

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Priv.-Doz. Dr. Christian Surber




Dr. Joachim Kresken (left), PD Dr. Christian Surber

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Dr. Joachim Kresken







 

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Prof. Dr. med. Hans Christian Korting






Prof. Dr. Rolf Daniels (left), Prof. Dr. med. Hans Christian Korting,
Dr. Joachim Kresken (right)

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Prof. Dr. Rolf Daniels







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Dr. Siegfried Wallat






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Kaspar Müller-Bringmann


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