Current and future evidence-based acne treatment: a review

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pharmacotherapy
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Acne treatment decisions require considering efficacy, safety, tolerability, and patient preferences.
• Physicians can utilize literature for evidence-based recommendations.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for effective acne management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current and future directions in acne pharmacotherapy.
• To identify trends in clinical trials for acne treatment from 2009-2012.

Main Methods:

• A PubMed search identified clinical trials on acne treatment published between 2009 and 2012.
• Sixty-five publications meeting inclusion criteria were reviewed.
• Literature analysis focused on treatment efficacy, tolerability, and novel therapeutic approaches.

Main Results:

• Topical combination therapies demonstrated superior efficacy and tolerability compared to monotherapy.
• Alternative approaches like topical antiandrogens and antioxidants were explored.
• Oral pulsed azithromycin showed potential for adolescent acne.
• Low-dose isotretinoin proved effective and better tolerated for moderate acne.

Conclusions:

• Combination acne therapy (topical or oral/topical) is strongly supported by recent research.
• The multifactorial nature of acne and adherence challenges favor combination products.
• Expect increased development and utilization of combination acne therapies in the future.