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Adapalene Safe, Effective Treatment For Acne Vulgaris

Five years of clinical trials have shown that adapalene is at least as effective as tretinoin and has fewer side effects in treatment of acne vulgaris.

"Adapalene, a naphthoic-acid derivative, possesses some of the biological activities of tretinoin but has distinct physicochemical properties and binding properties for selective affinity for retinoic acid receptors," says Larry Millikan of the Department of Dermatology at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

These properties make adapalene an exceptional candidate for treating acne while avoiding local tolerability problems like burning, erythema and pruritis.

Numerous clinical studies over the last five years have verified the effectiveness and tolerability of adapalene. "Three pivotal, large, well-controlled studies involving almost 900 patients showed that adapalene gel 0.1% and adapalene solution 0.1% are at least as effective as tretinoin gel 0.025%, with superior local tolerability," says Dr. Millikan.

Adapalene cream 0.1% has also been shown to be effective with response rates similar to the gel and solution.

A meta-analysis of these clinical trials confirms the equivalent efficacy and improved tolerabiltiy of the adapalene gel 0.1% compared with tretinoin gel 0.025%. Also, it was shown that the onset of clinical effects occurred significantly faster with adapalene.

"Taken together, these studies demonstrated that adapalene has overall efficacy similar to that of topical tretinoin, but with a superior therapeutic ratio that may result in superior outcomes in clinical practice through improved compliance," Dr. Millikan concludes.
J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2001; 15 (Suppl. 3): 19. "Pivotal clinical trials of adapalene in the treatment of acne"

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