A Study of the Effectiveness in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Severity Acne with Adapalene-benzoyl Peroxide Fixed-dose Combination Gel (Epiduo(R))

Lee, Young Seok; Sim, Hyun Soo; Seo, Jong Keun; Lee, Sook Kyung

Abstract

BACKGROUND
A fixed-dose combination gel with adapalene 0.1% and benzoyl peroxide (BPO) 2.5% has been developed for once-daily treatment of acne. It is known to be effective to reduce inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions, but there have been no study in Korean yet.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adapalene 0.1%-BPO 2.5% fixed-dose combination gel (adapalene-BPO) for the treatment of mild to moderate severity acne in Korean.
METHODS
In total, 64 patients with mild to moderate severity acne were enrolled. Adapalene-BPO was applied to face once daily at night. The efficacy assessment was performed at baseline and monthly for 3 months: inflammatory lesions (IL), non-inflammatory lesions (NIL), total lesions (TL) were counted and median percentage changes of each lesion were measured for 3 months with patient satisfaction and adverse events questionnaire.
RESULTS
Of the 64 patients enrolled, 58 have completed 3-month treatments. Adapalene-BPO showed early onset of action with significant reduction in inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesion counts. The median percentage reduction of mild group from baseline to 3rd month was greater than moderate group in IL, NIL, and TL counts (71.1% vs 65%/61.4% vs 56.4%/67.7% vs 62% reduction). Also, patient satisfaction score improved and significant reduction of Korea Acne Grading System (KAGS) was noted in both groups. All the reported adverse events were mild.
CONCLUSION
This study shows that adapalene-BPO is an effective and safe treatment regimen for both mild and moderate acne. It has a better effect for treating mild severity acne than moderate acne with reduction of the IL, NIL, and TL counts and greater patient satisfaction.