title: A 6-month maintenance therapy with adapalene-benzoyl peroxide gel prevents relapse and continuously improves efficacy among patients with severe acne vulgaris: results of a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acne vulgaris is a chronic and frequently recurring disease. A fixed-dose adapalene-benzoyl peroxide (adapalene-BPO) gel is an efficacious and safe acne treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the long-term effect of adapalene-BPO on relapse prevention among patients with severe acne after successful initial treatments.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a multicentre, double-blind, randomized and controlled study. In total, 243 subjects who had severe acne vulgaris and at least 50% global improvement after a previous 12-week treatment were randomized into the present study to receive adapalene-BPO gel or its vehicle once daily for 24 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At week 24, compared with vehicle, adapalene-BPO resulted in significantly higher lesion maintenance success rate (defined as having at least 50% improvement in lesion counts achieved in initial treatment) for all types of lesions (total lesions: 78·9% vs. 45·8%; inflammatory lesions: 78·0% vs. 48·3%; noninflammatory lesions: 78·0% vs. 43·3%; all P < 0·001). Significantly more subjects with adapalene-BPO than with vehicle had the same or better Investigator's Global Assessment score at week 24 than at baseline (70·7% vs. 34·2%; P < 0·001). The time when 25% of subjects relapsed was 175 days with adapalene-BPO and 56 days with vehicle (17 weeks earlier; P < 0·0001). Adapalene-BPO led to further decrease of lesion counts during the study and 45·7% of subjects were 'clear' or 'almost clear' at week 24. It was also safe and well tolerated in the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adapalene-BPO not only prevents the occurrence of relapse among patients with severe acne, but also continues to reduce disease symptoms during 6 months.
authors: Centre de Recherche Dermatologique du Québec Metropolitan, Quebec City, QC, Canada. poulinyves@videotron.ca
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Poulin
authors: N P
authors: NP
authors: Sanchez
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Bucko
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Fowler
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Jarratt
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Kempers
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Kerrouche
authors: J-C
authors: JC
authors: Dhuin
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Kunynetz
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000068816:Adapalene; D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001585:Benzoyl Peroxide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D005782:Gels; D009281:Naphthalenes; D000068816:Adapalene; D001585:Benzoyl Peroxide