Efficacy of adapalene/benzoyl peroxide combination in moderate inflammatory acne and its impact on patient adherence

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Adapalene 0.1 %/benzoyl peroxide (BPO) 2.5 % (Epiduo®) is the first, fixed-dose topical combination gel developed for the once-daily treatment of acne. The objective of this observational study was to assess efficacy and patient adherence under daily clinical practice conditions in a large population of young adults and adolescents (12 to 20 years) with moderate inflammatory acne. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 2 780 patients receiving adapalene-BPO were evaluated in this multicenter, open-label, prospective non-interventional observational study. Observation time per patient was approximately 12 weeks. Assessment parameters included changes in acne severity, treatment success, safety, and therapeutic adherence. RESULTS: After 12 weeks, the majority of patients (91.5 %) showed improvement of acne under adapalene-BPO treatment, with an initial therapeutic response noted after a median time of 14 days. Overall, 21.8 % of participants displayed complete resolution of visible acne lesions. Treatment adherence was assessed as good in 63.2 % of patients. The majority of individuals (69.5 %) experienced no or only mild local skin irritations. No serious adverse drug reactions (ADR) were reported during the course of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Adapalene-BPO is effective and safe in the treatment of moderate inflammatory acne. The fixed-dose combination and easy application simplifies the therapeutic regimen, leading to good treatment adherence in the majority of patients.