A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study randomized 117 patients with chronic hand eczema who had previously relapsed in an earlier phase III study (the BACH trial) to either oral alitretinoin 10 mg or 30 mg or placebo for 12-24 weeks. Patients who achieved the primary endpoint response of "clear" or "almost clear" on the Physicians' Global Assessment scale by week 12 discontinued treatment and this was termed end of therapy. The primary endpoint was reached by 80% and 40% of patients in the alitretinoin 30 mg and 10 mg groups, respectively (versus 8% and 10% in the corresponding placebo groups, respectively; P < 0.001 versus placebo for alitretinoin 30 mg). The median ...