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Background: Previously, we reported the efficacy of Lichtena® – a phytocosmetic cream product – in atopic dermatitis (AD). Later, fraudulent triamcinolone acetonide (TACA) was detected at low doses (16–40 µg/g) in Lichtena. This suggested that TACA may be effective at much lower concentrations than used in commercial products (1,000 µg/g). Objectives: To investigate the efficacy in AD of low-dose TACA in Lichtena compared to plain Lichtena. Methods: Fourteen patients presenting symmetrical lesions of AD were treated for 1 month with Lichtena plus 25 µg/g TACA (= verum) and plain Lichtena (= placebo). The severity of the lesions was assessed by the Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) on days 0 (= baseline), 7, 14 and 28. Results: Already after 1 week of treatment, significant SCORAD differences to baseline were observed comparing verum- and placebo-treated areas. No improvement was observed using plain Lichtena. Conclusions: TACA displayed a significant improvement of AD at doses up to 40 times lower than in commercial products.

Aleglitazar is a dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor a/? agonist in development for cardiovascular risk reduction in patients following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who have type 2 diabetes mellitus. Most ACS patients receive aspirin, which is associated with decreased glomerular

Hospital pharmacies play a crucial role in managing and/or accompanying the entire drug handling process, from the drug's origin all the way through the hospital system to the patient, and to promote rational and appropriate drug use. Drug preparation – still part of this process – has not disappeared from the fields of activity of hospital pharmacists. However, this activity is bound to many legal constraints and, therefore, remains reserved to a limited circle of hospitals that can offer such services. Based on a national license (Swissmedic), the Institute of Hospital Pharmacy of the University Hospital of Basel offers opportunities to provide drug preparations according to current guidelines. These preparations include patient-individualized drug preparations (compounding) to fulfil special needs in oncology, dermatology, paediatrics and other disciplines. Additionally this national license enables our institution to prepare drug preparations for clinical research. This is the basis of an important activity of our institute: to prepare clinical research samples for the pharmaceutical industry and for clinicians at the university hospital, to support industry independent research, and to conduct our own research in biopharmaceutics in collaboration with other national and international institutions. Against this background we report on our research support activities, and, in more detail, on our own research and development programs in biopharmaceutics: dermal and intranasal bioavailability.