The effect of vehicle formulation on acne medication tolerability.

Abstract

Combination acne medications provide enhanced treatment opportunities. A commonly used acne therapy may combine a topical antibiotic with benzoyl peroxide (BPO) to prevent antibiotic resistance while optimizing control of microcomedone formation with a retinoid. Unfortunately, this combination of highly efficacious medications may cause irritation because of the inherent skin irritancy of BPO and retinoids. The present study was undertaken to determine if vehicle optimization of a clindamycin-BPO formulation could increase the tolerability of an added retinoid. Forty-six women with mild to moderate facial acne were enrolled in a 3-center, institutional review board-approved, 2-week, split-face study to compare an optimized vehicle (glycerin and dimethicone) clindamycin-BPO formulation with a traditional clindamycin-BPO formulation, with tretinoin cream 0.025% applied to the entire face. The use of the optimized vehicle clindamycin-BPO formulation in combination with tretinoin cream 0.025% resulted in significantly less erythema and dryness on evaluation days 4, 7, and 14 (P < .05), as assessed by the blinded dermatologist investigators. The incorporation of new vehicles into topical dermatologic medications allows medication combinations with enhanced tolerability.

• Authors: Zoe Diana Draelos, Valerie Callender, Cherie Young, Sunil Sharan Dhawan
• Journal: Cutis (Cutis) Vol. 82 Issue 4 Pg. 281-4 (Oct 2008) ISSN: 0011-4162 [Print] United States
• PMID: 19055172 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Dermatologic Agents
• Dimethylpolysiloxanes
• Pharmaceutical Vehicles
• Clindamycin
• Tretinoin
• dimethicone
• Glycerol
• Benzoyl Peroxide

Topics

• Acne Vulgaris (drug therapy)
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (administration & dosage)
• Benzoyl Peroxide (administration & dosage)
• Clindamycin (administration & dosage)
• Dermatologic Agents (administration & dosage)
• Dimethylpolysiloxanes (administration & dosage)
• Female
• Glycerol (administration & dosage)
• Humans
• Pharmaceutical Vehicles
• Tretinoin (administration & dosage)
• Young Adult