ABSTRACT
Euphorbia peplus, commonly known as common or petty spurge, milkweed, radium weed and cancer weed, has an irritant, toxic, white milky sap which is the source of ingenol mebutate, a topical agent used until recently for the treatment of actinic keratosis, an early superficial precursor of a skin cancer. Laboratory research showed that the active ingredient extracted fromE. peplus had equal anticancer bioactivity whether obtained from fresh or dried material. It was shown in early clinical use to induce necrosis (cell death) in skin cancer cells within hours of application, by interfering with mitochondrial function. The international dermatology company Leo Pharma acquired Peplin in 2009 and obtained approval for ingenol mebutate gel from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2012 under the trade name Picato as a new treatment for actinic keratosis on the face, scalp, trunk and extremities.
