Efficacy and safety of oral propranolol for infantile hemangioma in Japan

Background: There have been few reports on the efficacy and safety of oral propranolol at 3 mg/kg/day for infantile hemangioma (IH) in Japanese patients. Methods: A multicenter, open-label phase III study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral propranolol solution in Japanese infants aged 35–150 days with proliferating IH. Thirty-two patients were enrolled in the study, received propranolol solution for 24 weeks at 3 mg/kg/day, and completed the study. Results: The success rate (complete or nearly complete resolution) at week 24 (primary endpoint) was 78% (95%CI: 60–91%). The improvement rate since the previous visit was 100% (32/32) after week 5. Overall, the IH surface area, maximum diameter, and color intensity all decreased over time. Consistency in assessment between the centralized and the investigator on-site assessments was observed in 26 patients. Of the 32 patients, 11 needed further treatment other than the study drug. The incidence of adverse events (AE) and drug-related AE was 97% and 31%, respectively. AE that occurred in ≥two patients were either typical of propranolol use (such as blood pressure decrease) or common events in infants. AE that resulted in dose reduction were observed in two patients, but no serious AE or AE that led to study drug discontinuation were observed. Conclusion: Oral propranolol solution at 3 mg/kg/day is effective and safe in Japanese IH patients.