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Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), an injectable dermal filler, may be an effective treatment option for full-face acne scarring, according to study findings published in Dermatologic Surgery.
Researchers enrolled patients with acne scars (mean age, 43) in the open-label multicenter pilot study (n=42). Participants were treated with PMMA-injectable filler (mean injection volume, approximately 1.5 mL/subject [range, 0.1 mL-7.40 mL]). Efficacy of PMMA was assessed with the validated 5-point static Acne Scar Assessment Scale (ASAS), physician and participant Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) and participant Quality of Life Scar Impact Scale. The researchers also assessed safety outcomes by rate, type, and association of adverse events with the study device.
Approximately 92% and 95% of participants experienced a ≥1-point improvement on the 5-point ASAS at 4 and 7 months, respectively. At 4 months, 95% of participants reported improvements on the GAIS and 90% reported improvements on the GAIS at 7 months. The physician-assessed GAIS also had high ratings, with 92% of patients having a score classification of “improved or better” at 4 months. At 7 months, the physician-rated GAIS classified 97% of patients as being “improved or better.” Only 2 mild device-related adverse events were observed (Bellafill skin test: bruising and ecchymosis). The researchers reported no serious adverse events related to treatment during the study period.
Study limitations included the small sample size, limited follow-up, lack of a control group, and the unblinded design.
“This long-lasting therapy fills a treatment gap in patients not only seeking an FDA-approved, long-lasting acne scar correction option, but also for those patients with darker skin types who are prone to pigmentation problems,” the researchers concluded. “Longer term follow-up is needed to confirm the safety profile of PMMA collagen–injectable dermal filler in this patient population.”
Reference
Joseph JH, Shamban A, Eaton L, et al. Polymethylmethacrylate Collagen Gel-Injectable Dermal Filler for Full Face Atrophic Acne Scar Correction [published online February 15, 2019]. Dermatol Surg. doi:10.1097/DSS.0000000000001863.
