In a multicentre general practice open study, 338
acne sufferers were treated with
Minocin 50 mg b.d. (254 for 12 weeks). A highly significant improvement trend (p less than 0.0001) was found following analysis of visual analogue scales measuring (i) severity of
acne, (ii) area covered by
acne, (iii) number of inflamed lesions, (iv) density of
acne lesions. Over all, 79% of patients thought the
therapy to be effective or very effective; 70% of patients continued on the same
therapy after the study period. Mean first improvement was noted by the patients after 4 1/2 weeks of treatment. One hundred and twenty-two patients had taken prior
oxytetracycline therapy, of these, ninety-four (77%) stopped
oxytetracycline therapy because of lack of efficacy.
After treatment of these
oxytetracycline failures with
Minocin, a highly significant improvement trend (p less than 0.0001) of
acne was again seen. In this group, 75% of patients thought the
Minocin therapy to be effective or very effective; 69% continued
Minocin therapy after the study period. In all, 74% of patients having received prior
oxytetracycline thought that
Minocin therapy was better than their previous
therapy. Ninety-three patients had received either no previous
therapy or topical
therapy alone. Once again
Minocin treatment resulted in a highly significant improvement trend (p less than 0.0001) in the severity of
acne. Seventy six (82%) of these patients thought that
Minocin therapy was effective or very effective. A total of 73% of patients continued with
Minocin therapy following the study period. Adverse events were noted in 6% of patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)