Patent ID: 8772273

Claim:
A method of treating acne vulgaris, the method comprising: administering to a subject a topical formulation comprising a single active ingredient, wherein the active ingredient consists of a RAR selective agonist, wherein the RAR selective agonist is not more than 0.005% of the formulation, and wherein the RAR selective agonist has the structure: wherein the dotted bond is either present and forms a double bond, or is absent; R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are independently hydrogen or alkyl; n is 1, 2 or 3; X is —C(R 8 )(R 9 )— for n=1, 2 or 3; or X is oxygen for n=1; wherein R 8 and R 9 are independently hydrogen or alkyl; R 5 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, alkoxy-alkyl-, alkylthio, alkyl-NR 10 —, alkenyl, alkenyloxy, alkynyl, benzyl, cycloalkyl-alkyl or phenyl-alkyl; wherein R 10 is hydrogen or alkyl; m is 0 when the dotted bond is present; or m is 1 when the dotted bond is absent; wherein Ar is phenyl or a heteroarylic ring; R 6 is hydrogen, halogen, alkoxy or hydroxy; R 7 is hydrogen or alkyl; and Y is —COO—, —OCO—, —CONR 10 —, —NR 10 CO—, —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, —COCH═CH—, —CHOHCH═CH—, —CH 2 O—, —CH 2 S—, —CH 2 SO—, —CH 2 SO 2 —, —CH 2 NR 10 —, —OC H 2 —, —SCH 2 —, —SOCH 2 —, —SO 2 CH 2 — or —NR 10 CH 2 —, with the proviso that when Y is —OCO—, —NR 10 CO—, —OCH 2 —, —SCH 2 —, —SOCH 2 —, —SO 2 CH 2 — or —NR 10 CH 2 —, R 5 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy-alkyl-, alkenyl, alkynyl, benzyl, cycloaslkyl-alkyl or phenyl-alkyl; or a pharmaceutically active salt of carboxylic acids of formula I.