The effect of vehicle formulation on acne medication tolerability.
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.
Draelos
Zoe Diana
ZD
Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. zdraelos@northstate.net
Callender
Valerie
V
Young
Cherie
C
Dhawan
Sunil Sharan
SS
D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001585:Benzoyl Peroxide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005990:Glycerol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D002981:Clindamycin; D014212:Tretinoin; C501844:dimethicone; D005990:Glycerol; D001585:Benzoyl Peroxide