History
Scientists at 3M's pharmaceutical division discovered imiquimod as part of a program to discover inhibitors of herpes simplex virus replication based on a known adenine derivative. : 369–372 3M obtained the first FDA approval for it in 1997 as a treatment for external genital and perianal warts under the brand, "Aldara". here In 2004, 3M obtained FDA approval to market imiquimod as a treatment for superficial basal cell carcinoma.
In 2006, 3M sold its pharmaceutical business in the Americas to Graceway Pharmaceuticals, its European pharmaceutical business to Meda AB, and its pharmaceutical business in other territories to two private equity firms.
Graceway declared bankruptcy in 2011, after the expiration of the patents on imiquimod, and its assets, including the rights to imiquimod branding and approvals in the Americas, were purchased by Medicis Pharmaceutical.
Imiquimod 5% was approved for medical use in the European Union in September 1998. Imiquimod 3.75% was approved for medical use in the European Union in August 2012.
As of 2015, imiquimod is generic and is available worldwide under many brands.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is recommended for patients with small to moderate numbers of warts. It can be applied with a cryoprobe, liquid nitrogen spray, or a cotton-tipped applicator. The cold source is applied and held until a halo appears around the circumference of the lesion (about 10 to 20 seconds). Local anesthesia (topical or injected) may facilitate therapy if warts are present in many areas or if the area is large. No clinical trials have compared cryotherapy with placebo; randomized trials have found similar response rates for cryotherapy compared with podophyllin, TCA, and electrosurgery.
How Aldara affects the immune system
Aldara cream works to treat genital warts caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).
Imiquimod — the active ingredient in Aldara cream — does this by working to eradicate HPV, rather than just treating the wart itself.
Imiquimod acts as an immune response modifier (IRM), helping the body stimulate its own defence mechanisms. http://www.wartremoverstore.com/aldara/ This essentially tells the body’s immune system to attack the virus itself, releasing chemicals to attack and kill the virus, stopping HPV from multiplying in cells, as well as reducing cell abnormalities. When the HPV type 6 & 11 are killed, your genital warts should clear.
Warts treated with Aldara are less likely to recur, and you may never even have them again.