weekly isotretinoin vs tetracycline for moderate acne

Conditions: Acne Vulgaris

Summary: in the effort to find better treatments for moderate acne, which often relies on long-term antibiotic use, researchers are exploring alternative options. while isotretinoin, a vitamin a derivative, is highly effective for severe acne, its side effects limit its use for milder cases. a recent study from our institution investigated a new approach: weekly isotretinoin dosing. the results were promising, with acne improvement and no major side effects. this suggests that weekly isotretinoin could be a successful alternative for moderate acne in both males and females. to validate these findings, investigators propose a randomized controlled trial comparing weekly isotretinoin to daily doxycycline over four months. this study could confirm the safety and effectiveness of weekly isotretinoin, as well as shed light on patient satisfaction, and long-term results compared to standard antibiotics. this research may offer a breakthrough in treating moderate acne while addressing concerns about antibiotic overuse.

in current practice, treatment options for moderate acne vulgaris remain limited. the mainstay of treatment remains long courses of oral antibiotics, mainly tetracyclines. with the growing discussion of antibiotic stewardship, alternate and more effective therapies need to be explored. the efficacy of isotretinoin, a vitamin a derivative, for the treatment of acne, has been well-established, but its use is often limited to treatment of severe acne due to its possible side effects and standard lab monitoring. several studies have explored low-dose isotretinoin for mild-to- moderate acne with promising results, however, to our knowledge, the first study looking at weekly dosing of isotretinoin was conducted at our institution. in this proof-of-concept study, results showed improvement of acne in almost all patients with no significant lab abnormalities or adverse events. investigators concluded that weekly isotretinoin dosing is a potential efficacious alternative for the treatment of moderate acne in both males and females and suggested study replication with a larger population and with comparison to standard of care (soc) treatments. for these reasons, investigators propose a randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of once weekly oral isotretinoin dosing preceded by a 5-day daily loading dose to daily oral doxycycline over a 4-month treatment period. this study has the potential to confirm the safety and efficacy of weekly dosed isotretinoin for moderate acne treatment and highlight its adverse event profile, clinical effectiveness, patient satisfaction, and degree of sustained treatment response after drug cessation in comparison to standard of care tetracyclines.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: - male and female patients, 12 years and older with a diagnosis of moderate acne vulgaris exclusion criteria: * patients who are at baseline on long-term tetracycline antibiotics, long-term trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or on spironolactone for any reason * patients who have taken isotretinoin in the past 6 months * patients with hypersensitivity to isotretinoin or to any of its components * females who are pregnant, likely to become pregnant, or will be breast-feeding during the study period * patients with a history of major depression, mania, or psychosis with an active episode during the past year including current psychotic symptoms and/or current suicidal ideation * adult patients with cognitive impairment * patients with baseline kidney or liver disease * patients with baseline hypertriglyceridemia * patients with history of or current pseudotumor cerebri * patients with any clinically significant unstable medical condition which could pose a risk to the safety of the patient * inability or unwillingness of subject or legal guardian/representative to give informed consent

Keywords: moderate acne vulgaris isotretinoin