Adapalene for Acne

OB/GYN News, May 1, 2001 by Sally Koch Kubetin

Adapalene was as effective as tretinoin for the treatment of mild to moderate acne, while producing significantly less irritation, Dr. W.J. Cunliffe reported in a poster session during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

A total of 409 patients ranging in age from 12 to 25 were randomized to receive 10 weeks of treatment with either 0.01% adapalene gel (Differin) or 0.05% tretinoin cream (Renova).

At baseline, patients in both groups had an average of 22.5 inflammatory acne lesions and 57.5 noninflammatory lesions, Treatment reduced the number of inflammatory lesions by 38% in the adapalene group and by 37% in the tretinoin group.

The number of noninfiammatory lesions was reduced by 51% in each group, reported Dr. Cunliffe of the Skin Research Centre, Leeds (England) General Infirmary.

Irritation was the greatest in both treatment groups during, the first week of treatment, improving thereafter. But the adapalene group experienced significantly less erythema at weeks 1 and 6, less dryness at weeks 1 and 3, and less desquamation at weeks 1, 3, and 6.