Once-Daily 7.5% Dapsone Gel Safe, Effective for Acne Vulgaris

Once-daily dapsone gel, 7.5% monotherapy for 12 weeks, is effective and well tolerated in patients with facial acne vulgaris. Results were published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.

The study included 8 patients between 15 and 28 years old, 6 of whom were women and 2 were men. There was a broad range of acne phenotypes, Fitzpatrick skin phototypes, and racial/ethnic groups among the participants. All patients applied the product once daily for 12 weeks.

Photographs were taken at baseline and then again at 12 weeks. Treating dermatologists recorded their observations of baseline acne, treatment tolerability, and patient outcomes. Based on the patients’ photographs, an independent rater evaluated Global Acne Assessment Score at baseline and at 12 weeks. Both participants and dermatologists provided written testimonials of their experience with the treatment, including any adverse events.

Acne improvement was observed in the photographs of the 8 participants. Changes in Global Acne Assessment Score after 12 weeks of treatment, as evaluated by an independent rater, ranged from 1- to 3-grade improvement from baseline.

Limitations of the current treatment program include the small number of patients examined and the real-world design of the study, which is less rigorous than a clinical trial and allows the possibility of a multitude of variables having an impact on the outcomes.

The investigators concluded that dermatologists’ reports, photographs, and patient commentaries in an office-based setting all demonstrated that 12 weeks of dapsone gel 7.5% was efficacious and well tolerated as a stand-alone therapy in patients with acne vulgaris, with results that are consistent with those reported in phase 3 pivotal trials.

Reference

Stockton TC, Tanghetti EA, Lain E, Zeichner JA, Alvandi N. Clinical experience with once-daily dapsone gel, 7.5% monotherapy in patients with acne vulgaris. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(6):602-608.