Imiqimod in clinical practice.

Imiquimod 5% cream is a new compound which modifies the immune response by stimulating the production of interferon alpha and other cytokines. It has shown remarkable promise in the treatment of external genital and perianal warts when applied overnight, three times a week. It is also associated with a lower recurrence than those found with other current treatments. This paper reviews two of the pivotal multi-centre studies which confirm its efficacy in human papilloma virus (HPV) infections. These studies compared the effectiveness and safety of imiquimod 1% cream, imiquimod 5% cream and vehicle cream in the treatment of external anogenital warts.