Why this topic matters to me
I had molluscum for about two years. During that time I mostly saw the same dermatologist, and a few other doctors as well, and tried creams and solutions. Nothing worked for me. Back then I read a great deal, mostly in forums, and often wondered why there wasn’t simply one treatment that reliably helps.
This article is not a recommendation and not a guide. I write down what I read in studies and medical journals. Whether a treatment is an option, and which one, is something only a doctor can decide.
For a long time the US had nothing made specifically for molluscum
What surprised me was how long there was no medicine approved in the US specifically for molluscum. From what I read, doctors there used procedures and products that were really meant for other purposes. A Cochrane review concluded in 2017 that none of the treatments studied up to then was convincingly effective. I write more about this in the article Molluscum that won’t go away.
Since then, things have moved in the US. The drug regulator there, the FDA, approved two treatments in quick succession. I deliberately name only the active ingredients here, not product names.
2023: a solution containing cantharidin
In July 2023, according to the FDA’s own announcement, a solution containing the active ingredient cantharidin was approved in the US for adults and children aged two and over. It isn’t used at home. Medical staff apply it to the spots in the clinic.
The approval was based on two large trials published in the journal JAMA Dermatology in 2020. 528 people aged two and over took part. The solution was applied every three weeks until the spots had cleared, up to four times. At the end, all spots had cleared in 46 per cent of those treated in one trial and in 54 per cent in the other. In the comparison groups, who received a solution without the active ingredient, the figures were 18 and 13 per cent.
Common side effects were reactions where the solution was applied, such as blisters, pain and itching. According to the trials, they were mostly mild to moderate.
2024: a gel containing berdazimer
In January 2024, according to the trade publication Dermatology Times, a gel containing the active ingredient berdazimer followed, approved from the age of one. Unlike the solution, it is applied at home once a day.
The key trial was also published in JAMA Dermatology, in 2022. Almost 900 people applied either the gel or a gel without the active ingredient for twelve weeks. Afterwards, all spots had cleared in 32.4 per cent of people using the active gel, compared with 19.7 per cent in the comparison group. The trial names pain and redness where the gel is applied as the most common side effects, mostly mild to moderate.
What struck me while reading
What stayed with me wasn’t so much the percentages as what sits between the lines. Even in the comparison groups without an active ingredient, some people’s spots had all cleared after a few weeks. That fits with what I read everywhere: molluscum often clears up on its own, but nobody knows in advance when.
It also works the other way round. Even with the new treatments, many people still had spots at the end of the trial period. These studies don’t describe a treatment that works for everyone either.
And one more thing: the trials took place in the US, and even young children could take part. I can’t judge how well the results apply to adults like me.
And outside the US?
When I wrote this in October 2026, I had found no indication that either treatment is approved in the EU. I can’t say whether or how they are available where you live. A dermatologist or a pharmacist can answer that.
The NHS writes that molluscum often clears up without treatment and that treatment isn’t always necessary.
What I take from this
For me, it’s a good sign that there is now research into treatments made specifically for molluscum. Anyone who, like me, lives with it for years knows how much it can shape everyday life.
At the same time, I have learned to read success stories soberly. Percentages from studies say little about how things will go for you. Back then my dermatologist told me that six to eighteen months or longer were not unusual. For me it was about two years.
If you are in the middle of it right now: whether any treatment is an option for you, and which one, is best discussed with your doctor. And don’t be discouraged if nothing works for a long time. That is how it was for me for two years.