Advances in the treatment of acne

Acne vulgaris affects most people at some time in their life. This common condition can have devastating effects on a person's quality of life and may leave permanent scars. Treatment options, which are designed to disrupt one or more of the pathogenic features that characterize acne, include topical therapies (e.g., antibiotics, retinoids, benzoyl peroxide and combination products), systemic treatments (e.g., oral antibiotics, hormonal therapies and oral retinoids, which are indicated for severe recalcitrant nodulocystic acne), and, to a lesser extent, light-based and physical treatments. Combination oral contraceptives (COCs) represent one type of hormonal treatment. Their mode of action is to reduce the availability of free testosterone, which stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce sebum. Most COCs used in the United States contain progestins derived from 19-nortestosterone, giving them at least some degree of androgenic activity. Of the 3 COCs with an FDA indication for the treatment of moderate acne, only YAZ contains drospirenone, a progestin that combines no androgenic activity with antiandrogenic activity. This drospirenone-containing COC has been shown to be effective in reducing both inflammatory and noninflammatory acne lesions.