Acne

Is telemedicine a useful tool to treat acne during the COVID-19 pandemic? Julie Harper, M.D., owner and president of the Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center of Birmingham in Alabama, shares her insights.

Julie Harper, M.D., owner and president of the Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center of Birmingham in Alabama, emphasizes the importance of ensuring timely treatment of acne patients during the COVID-19 crisis.

The implementation of artificial intelligence technology in the long-term management and follow-up of acne patients may help to improve patient treatment outcomes.

While recognizing that a patient’s mental health generally improves with isotretinoin use due to improvement in acne symptoms, clinicians may consider screening for insomnia during the course of treatment, as it may be an indicator for vulnerability to side effects, researchers say.

Many current acne clinical trials do not consider those patients already on hormone therapy, which researchers say may affect therapeutic outcomes. Authors of a recent study encourage this reporting in future studies to help clinicians better assess how the data might represent a practice population.

A recent Cochrane review compared the benefits of several topical acne treatments. Researchers found mixed quality of evidence for PGA outcomes. In the absence of high-quality evidence, management decisions should be guided by clinical experiences and patient preferences.

Almirall announces the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the updated label for their oral antibiotic sarecycline (Seysara) for treatment of acne vulgaris to help promote the appropriate use of the drug to aid in preventing antimicrobial resistance commonly warned when using antibiotics

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Abbreviated New Drug Application for topical retinoid adapalene gel USP, 0.3% from Alembic Pharmaceuticals and its joint venture Aleor Dermaceuticals for treatment of acne vulgaris.

Tazarotene lotion 0.045% (Arazlo, Ortho Dermatologics) is officially launched in the U.S. following approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in late 2019 for the treatment of acne vulgaris in patients 9 years and older.

In the last three to five years, there has been a tremendous increase in interest in prescription treatments for acne and rosacea, resulting in many promising products entering the marketplace for these conditions.

The popularity of laser and light devices has recently grown among acne patients, not only due to their efficacy but also because treatments are quick and clean, says Michael H. Gold, M.D.

The topical combination of tretinoin 0.05% lotion and azelaic acid 15% foam improved truncal acne and may be an alternative to oral antibiotic treatment, according to recent case studies.

In honor of June being Acne Awareness Month, Thayers has launched a new line of acne-tailored skincare products.

The authors of a recently published commentary report they’ve developed a glycolic and salicylic acid combination serum they say could disrupt traditional use of topical benzoyl peroxide and antibiotics to treat acne.

A recent clinical review proves trifarotene 0.005% cream is an effective and safe treatment for acne vulgaris on the face and neck in patients 9 years and older. Currently, the drug is one of four topical retinoid acne treatments available on the market.

Menlo Therapeutics announces its wholly-owned subsidiary Foamix Pharmaceuticals Ltd.  is entering a licensing with Cutia Therapeutics for the company’s FDA-approved 4% topical minocycline foam (AMZEEQ, Foamix) for acne vulgaris in pediatric and adult patients.

Speaking about device-based acne treatments at Maui Derm for Dermatologists 2020 meeting, Fernanda Sakamoto, Ph.D., M.D., discussed PDT and other approaches for targeting the sebaceous gland.

Hilary E. Baldwin, M.D. discusses advances in acne treatment that have expanded treatment options, allowing physicians to improve outcomes in patients with moderate-to-severe acne.

Read more on the variety of new treatment options for acne, with even more awaiting approval.

Read insights from James Q. Del Rosso, D.O., as he discusses antibiotic resistance, isotretinoin relapse, and laboratory monitoring for patients on isotretinoin and spironolactone.

James J. Leyden, M.D., has four decades of experience prescribing isotretinoin for the treatment of severe acne both in clinical practice and clinical research. Read his conclusions about dosing and use of the oral retinoid in this article.

Although the fractional ablative CO2 laser is a first-line treatment for acne scarring, the potential for side effects from repetitive treatments leaves room for improvement with additive therapies, according to a recent review.

Sun Dermatology is launching an acne awareness advertising campaign, Take on Acne, that focuses on the skin condition’s impact on teens and young adults’ quality of life.

Sun Pharma introduces a lower dose isotretinoin capsule in the U.S. for the treatment of severe recalcitrant nodular acne.

A novel gel formulation combining tretinoin 0.04% and clindamycin 1% using a controlled release microsphere delivery system effectively treats acne vulgaris without the skin irritation associated with topical tretinoin alone, according to recent data.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) shows promise as an adjunctive treatment for atrophic acne scarring, but experts say more research is needed. 

Sol-Gel announces updates to their drug pipeline and their goals for 2020, which include submitting multiple provisional patents and NDAs for the treatment of a variety of skin conditions.

In a skit depicting Carnac the Magnificent, Drs. Rosen and Bhatia presented on 2020's new drugs and technologies at the current Maui Derm for Dermatologists, all with a magical twist.

Recent phase 3 clinical trials reveal positive results for tazarotene lotion 0.045% in patients with moderate-to-severe acne.