SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- March 25, 2003 -- Combining 0.1% adapalene gel topical therapy with lymecycline or minocycline systemic therapy is an effective treatment for inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne.

In a multi-centre trial, led by M. H. Campo, Universidad de Valle, 64 patients received 300 mg lymecycline every day for two weeks, followed by 150 mg per day for an additional 22 weeks. Fifty eight patients received minocycline 100 mg a day for 24 weeks. At the same time, all participants used a 0.1% adapalene gel once daily at bedtime. The findings were presented in a poster here on March 23^rd at the 61^st Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

Both treatments effectively reduced the mean number of patients' total and inflammatory lesions. In the lymecycline plus adapalene group, the mean reduction in total lesions was 77%, and in the minocycline plus adapalene group, it was 67% (p<0.001). Also, mean percentage reduction in non-inflammatory lesions was 77% for the lymecycline plus adapalene group and 64% for the minocycline plus adapalene group. Reductions in inflammatory lesions and overall global assessments of efficacy were similar for the two groups.

Both treatments were well-tolerated, with just under 30% of patients reporting adverse events in both groups. The most common adverse event was epigastralia. Photosensitivity and cephalea were important side effects in the lymecycline plus adapalene group, but neither led to interruption of therapy.

According to the authors, lymecycline plus adapalene is at least as effective as minocycline plus adapalene for the treatment of inflammatory acne. Also, the combination of a systemic tetracycline antibiotic plus a topical retinoid agent is an effective treatment for both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne.

The study was sponsored by Galderma.

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