[Clinical evaluation of josamycin in the treatment of acne]

The efficacy of josamycin in the treatment of inflammatory acne has been evaluated in 39 patients. Josamycin was orally administered to the patients as a single 500 mg daily dose for two months, but the patients with the most severe lesions received an initial treatment of 1 g for a maximum of 20 days. All subjects received josamycin in combination with other antiacne drugs mostly benzoyl peroxide ointment. The treatment induced a significant regression of the number and the severity of the lesions scored according to Plewig-Kligman's classification. At the end of the treatment a positive effect was observed for 92% of the subjects, independently of the variety and the degree of the severity of the disease. According to the patients' judgments josamycin was an effective treatment (92.3%) and more effective that the previously prescribed drugs (95%). Only 1 patient reported the occurrence of a side effect (mild gastric discomfort). Josamycin showed in this study to be an effective and safe drug for the treatment of inflammatory acne.