SAN FRANCISCO — Fixed-dose clindamycin 1%/benzoyl peroxide 5% gel outperformed adapalene 0.1% gel, markedly reducing both noninflammatory and inflammatory facial acne lesions in an investigator-blinded 12-week randomized trial.
In a post hoc analysis, 59 patients treated with the benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin gel (Duac, Stiefel Laboratories Inc.) achieved faster and greater improvement than the 61 who received a retinoid, Dr. Anthony Chu reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.
The primary results of this study, which was sponsored by Stiefel, have already been published (Br. J. Dermatol. 2008;158:122-9).
Duac is FDA approved only for treatment of inflammatory lesions of mild to moderate acne. The finding of comparable efficacy for noninflammatory as well as inflammatory lesions in the new post hoc analysis, while encouraging, will require further confirmatory studies, noted Dr. Chu of Hammersmith Hospital, London.
After 1 week of therapy, noninflammatory acne lesions were reduced by a mean 8.2% in Duac-treated males and by 8.5% in female patients, compared with 2.3% and 1.3%, respectively, with adapalene gel (Differin, Galderma). By week 12, the mean reduction in noninflammatory lesions in males was 57% with Duac and 25% with adapalene gel, and 53% in Duac-treated females versus 44% in those who received adapalene.
Dr. Chu disclosed having received honoraria from, and serving on the speakers bureaus of, Stiefel and Galderma.