Comparison of treatment of acne vulgaris with alternate-day applications of tazarotene 0.1% gel and once-daily applications of adapalene 0.1% gel: a randomized trial.

Author(s): Leyden J, Lowe N, Kakita L, Draelos Z

Affiliation(s): Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.

Publication date & source: 2001-06, Cutis., 67(6 Suppl):10-6.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Multicenter Study; Randomized Controlled Trial

Tazarotene and adapalene are recently introduced topical retinoids that are useful in the treatment of acne vulgaris. The clinical benefits of each drug have now been compared in a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group study involving 164 patients with mild-to-moderate facial acne vulgaris. Patients were randomized to receive 15 weeks' treatment with alternate-day tazarotene 0.1% gel, with vehicle gel on the intervening evenings, or once-daily adapalene 0.1% gel. Both regimens were comparably effective with no significant between-group differences in efficacy measures. A total of 74% of tazarotene-treated subjects and 73% of adapalene-treated subjects achieved at least a 50% improvement in their acne. In addition, there were no clinically significant differences in tolerability. It is concluded that an alternate-day tazarotene regimen offers efficacy and thus tazarotene treatment can be useful even in patients whose compliance may be suboptimal. An alternate-day regimen also offers the potential for considerable savings in drug costs.