TITLE:
Anti-Aging Efficacy of a New Alendronate-Pravastatin Cosmetic Combination: A Randomized Double Blind Comparative Study
AUTHORS:
Bénédicte Cantecor, Marie-Pierre Savelli, Marie-Pierre Savelli, Philippe Piccerelle, Nicolas Lévy, Vincent Bonniol, Pierre Cau
KEYWORDS:
Skin Aging; Progerin; Statin; Aminobisphosphonate; Double Blind Comparative Clinical Study; Placebo; FOITS
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications,
Vol.3 No.3,
August
15,
2013
ABSTRACT: Progeria is a rare genetic disease that causes accelerated aging and death in children at a mean age of 13.5 years. Anaminobisphosphonate-statin combination has been shown to reduce the toxicity of the mutated protein, progerin, in progeria patient cell cultures and in a mouse model of the disease. This combination is currently being tested in a European Therapeutic Trial for progeria in Marseille (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00731016). Progerin has been shown to be produced by skin cells during physiological aging. The objective of this study was to assess the efficiency of a new and original cosmetic formulation containing alendronate and pravastatin sodium salts, reduce crow’s feet wrinkles, and cheek hollow in a double blind, randomized and placebo controlled comparative study. Three cosmetic preparations were evaluated using Fast Optical in vivo Topometry of human Skin (FOITS): one containing sodium alendronate and sodium pravastatin, a placebo, and a commercial anti-aging product. Fifty-seven female and twenty-five male volunteers between 51 and 71-year-old were selected. Each subject tested two of the three products once a day, in the evening, by spreading each selected product on one side of the face. Skin micro-relief was analyzed at 0, 28, 56 and 84 days. Statistical analysis of 7 clinical qualitative (left or right side of face, gender, and 3 skin types) and 6 quantitative parameters (age, weight at each test time, wrinkle clinical grade at inclusion time) showed no statistical differences between the three tested products. In contrast, most of the 8 quantitative FOITS parameters describing skin micro-relief were statistically improved by the alendronate-pravastatin combination compared to the placebo or to the commercial anti-aging product. A cosmetic preparation containing alendronate and pravastatin sodium salts exhibited anti-aging effects by reducing crow’s feet wrinkles and restoring cheek volume.