Benzoyl peroxide microsphere cream as monotherapy and combination treatment of acne

This office-based case series describes the use of a new formulation of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) delivered via a porous microsphere cream vehicle in patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris. While BPO has been used for many years as antimicrobial in the treatment of acne, in recent years its use has been increasingly encouraged as part of a strategy designed to reduce Propionibacterium acnes (P acnes) resistance to antibiotics. Historically, a major drawback to BPO treatment has been irritation, which may be concentration-dependent or vehicle-dependent. A new BPO microsphere cream formulation has recently been introduced and appears to offer favorable efficacy with a very low potential for irritation. This article presents a series of patients from 2 private dermatologic practices treated with a new BPO microsphere cream formulation both as monotherapy and in combination with other acne drugs.