Unmet Needs in the Management of Acne Vulgaris: A Consensus Statement

June 2023 | Volume 22 | Issue 6 | 582 | Copyright © June 2023


Published online May 5, 2023

Hilary Baldwin MDa, Aaron Farberg MD FAADb, Cheri Frey MDc, Corey Hartman MD FAADd, Edward Lain MDe, Rachel Meltzer MD MPHf, Zoe Draelos MDg

aMedical Director, The Acne Treatment and Research Center, Brooklyn NY, and Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center, New Brunswick, NJ
bBare Dermatology, Dallas, TX, and Baylor Scott & White Health System, Dallas, TX
cHoward University, Washington, DC
dSkin Wellness Dermatology and University of Alabama at Birmingham Dermatology, Birmingham, AL
eSanova Dermatology, Austin, TX
fBrigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
gDermatology Consulting Services, High Point, NC

activity and improve acne with limited systemic anti-androgenic activity.39,43 For these reasons, based on the authors' clinical experience, clascoterone could be suitable in the following specific populations: patients with moderate to severe acne who do not wish to take antibiotics, transmasculine patients for whom medications such as spironolactone could interfere with their gender-affirming care, gender minority patients, other patients receiving androgen therapy, mature patients of any gender with acne (ages 29-40 years), patients for whom isotretinoin is not indicated, and patients who do not wish to use oral medications.

The authors agree that clascoterone may represent a new category of acne medication that should be included in a multimodal approach to acne therapy.

CONCLUSION

Treatment of acne is challenging, and there is an unmet need for FDA-approved medications targeting sebum production that can be used safely in a variety of patients. New acne treatments continue to be developed, and treatment guidelines often fall behind clinical practice. Clascoterone, with its unique mechanism of action, fills an important role in acne treatment. Clinical trials of clascoterone support its efficacy and safety in both male and female patients. However, more studies are needed to achieve a better understanding of the mechanism of action of clascoterone in the treatment of acne vulgaris.

DISCLOSURES

HB serves as an advisor for Galderma, Ortho Dermatologics, Sun Pharma, LaRoche-Posay, Journey, EPI, and Cutera. ASF serves as an advisor for Sun Pharma, Ortho Dermatologics, Galderma, Novartis, and Pfizer Inc. CF serves as a consultant for Sun Pharma, Proctor & Gamble, CeraVe, Galderma, SpoiledChild, Recell, and Regeneron. CLH serves as an advisor for Allergan, Galderma, Skinceuticals, Revision Skincare, Paula's Choice, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Versed, Dial, and Neutrogena. EL serves as a consultant and/or speaker for Sun Pharma, L'Oreal, JJCI, Galderma, Ortho Dermatologics, Pfizer, AbbVie, Incyte, BMS, Dermavant, and Almirall. RM serves as a consultant for Sun Pharma. ZD has received grants from Sun Pharma, Dr. Reddy's, and Ortho Dermatologics.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Acne Management Consensus Roundtable meeting was funded by Sun Pharma. Medical writing support was provided by Elisabetta Lauretti PhD, of AlphaBioCom, a Red Nucleus company, and funded by Sun Pharma.

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