Clinical evaluation of a new erythromycin solution for acne vulgaris

The effects of a 1.5 percent solution of erythromycin, especially formulated for the topical treatment of acne vulgaris, were compared with those of its vehicle in a twelve week, double-blind study involving twenty-six patients. A statistically significant difference between the responses to the two treatments was seen in both lesion counts and overall evaluations. The final reductions in the mean number of papules and pustules in the erythromycin group were 70.8 and 77.6 percent of the initial values, respectively, and the overall evaluations of this group showed that 91.7 percent of the patients had achieved good or excellent results. A group of fourteen patients continued therapy with the erythromycin solution for an additional nine months. Effective control of their acne was maintained, and no serious side effects were observed.