title: Comparison of treatment of acne vulgaris with alternate-day applications of tazarotene 0.1% gel and once-daily applications of adapalene 0.1% gel: a randomized trial.
abstract: Tazarotene and adapalene are recently introduced topical retinoids that are useful in the treatment of acne vulgaris. The clinical benefits of each drug have now been compared in a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group study involving 164 patients with mild-to-moderate facial acne vulgaris. Patients were randomized to receive 15 weeks' treatment with alternate-day tazarotene 0.1% gel, with vehicle gel on the intervening evenings, or once-daily adapalene 0.1% gel. Both regimens were comparably effective with no significant between-group differences in efficacy measures. A total of 74% of tazarotene-treated subjects and 73% of adapalene-treated subjects achieved at least a 50% improvement in their acne. In addition, there were no clinically significant differences in tolerability. It is concluded that an alternate-day tazarotene regimen offers efficacy and thus tazarotene treatment can be useful even in patients whose compliance may be suboptimal. An alternate-day regimen also offers the potential for considerable savings in drug costs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leyden
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kakita
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Draelos
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000068816:Adapalene; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D007641:Keratolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009539:Nicotinic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D012176:Retinoids
chemical_list: D000068816:Adapalene; D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D005782:Gels; D007641:Keratolytic Agents; D009281:Naphthalenes; D009539:Nicotinic Acids; C086827:tazarotene; D012176:Retinoids