Treatment of 2,453 Acne Vulgaris Patients Aged 12–17 Years With the Fixed-dose Adapalene-benzoyl Peroxide Combination Topical Gel: Efficacy and Safety

Acne vulgaris is a common disease in adolescents, and early treatment may minimize its physical and psychological effects. A fixeddose combination gel of adapalene 0.1% and benzoyl peroxide 2.5% (adapalene-BPO) is efficacious and safe in the treatment of acne patients aged 12 years or older, as demonstrated in three randomized and controlled studies. The current study is a subgroup analysis of the efficacy and safety of adapalene-BPO among 2,453 patients aged 12–17 years. After 12 weeks of treatment, significantly more patients in the adapalene-BPO group were “clear” or “almost clear” (30.9%, P<0.001) compared to the monotherapies and vehicle. The percentage reduction from baseline in total, inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions was 56, 63 and 54.5 percent in the adapalene-BPO group, respectively, significantly higher than in the monotherapy groups and vehicle (all P<0.001). Significantly earlier onset of effect was observed at week 1. Adapalene-BPO was also well tolerated, with the mean scores of dryness, erythema, scaling and stinging/burning less than 1 (mild) at all study visits. Overall, the adapalene-BPO combination gel provides significantly greater and synergistic efficacy and a fast onset of action compared to the monotherapies and vehicle in young acne patients aged 12–17 years.