Molutrex

Molutrex is an easy to use product which clears blisters caused by molluscum contagiosum – a common viral condition found mainly on the skin of young children. Whilst the virus will eventually clear of its own accord, this can take up to 2 years. With Molutrex treatment this can be reduced to as little as 6 weeks.

Why use Molutrex?

Molutrex is a Class IIa Medical Device which has a proven track record in published clinical trials to speed up the natural process of eliminating this virus from the body. The active ingredient used in Molutrex has been the subject of a number of clinical studies across the world. Doctors have found that when applied to the blisters once or twice a day they start to disappear within a matter of days and many patients become free of the blisters within a few weeks. Treatment is easy to follow and unlikely to cause significant discomfort to the patient.

Molutrex contains a stable solution of potassium hydroxide (also known as KOH). This agent has been used for many years in medical laboratories as it is capable of breaking down the hard keratin surface of the skin.

When painted onto the molluscum blisters this sets off an irritant reaction which stimulates the body’s own immune system to attack the virus. The virus is destroyed and the blisters heal

Supported by research

In a German Study, published in 2007, 21 children aged between 2 and 13 years were treated with 5% KOH. The blisters started to show signs of reddening within 3-6 days from the start of treatment and complete resolution and healing of the blisters was completed within 14 – 35 days. Importantly, none of the patients showed any signs of a recurrence of the disease up to 8 months after treatment.

5% KOH has also been compared with a drug called Tretinoin, often used to treat acne. 50 children were given either 5% KOH or 0.05% Tretinoin to be applied once a day to their molluscum lesions for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks use there was no significant difference between either treatment group. Both groups saw a significant improvement in their average count of remaining blisters but the scientists commented that the KOH appeared to work faster.

This form of treatment has been recommended as being suitable for use at home rather than in clinic use. It has been shown to be effective, well tolerated and easy to use through simple application.

Experiments using a range of concentrations from 2.5% to 10% has shown that a 5% solution has a similar effect as the 10% but with less irritation. This is why Molutrex is made with 5% Potassium Hydroxide.

As many of the old methods of clearing molluscum involved medical intervention, significant discomfort and limited levels of success most clinicians have up until now employed a “let it go away on its own” approach. However, it is now possible to manage molluscum more sympathetically with Molutrex Whilst the blisters are not generally painful they can be itchy or feel a bit sore.