Kānuka oil may represent an effective and well tolerated treatment for moderate-to-severe eczema, according to a randomised controlled trial conducted in New Zealand. The trial involved 80 adults with self-reported moderate-to-severe eczema, assessed by Patient Orientated Eczema Measure (POEM), who received 3% Kānuka oil cream (n = 41) or a vehicle control (n = 39) topically, twice daily, for 6 weeks. The trial was undertaken in eleven research trained community pharmacies. The primary outcome was the difference between groups in POEM score at week 6 on intention-to-treat analysis. Mean POEM score improved from 18.4 at baseline to 6.8 at week 6 in the Kānuka oil group, and from 18.7 to 9.8 in the vehicle control group. The mean difference in POEM score between groups was -3.1 (95% CI -6.0, -0.2; p = 0.036). There were three treatment-related adverse events in the Kānuka oil group and two in the vehicle control group; no serious adverse events were reported.
