Tret-BPO improves treatment adherence in acne vulgaris

Tret-BPO cream may improve adherence and lesions in the treatment of acne vulgaris, according to a literature review.

“Poor adherence to acne treatment is common and is exacerbated by the complexity of treatment regimens,” Rohan Singh, BS, of the center of dermatology research in the department of dermatology at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and colleagues wrote. “The combination of medications decreases the complexity of treatment and may address poor adherence.”

Tret-BPO is an FDA-approved combination drug consisting of 0.1% tretinoin and 3% topical benzoyl peroxide (BPO). The drug’s encapsulation system may enhance the stability of tretinoin and BPO.

Singh and colleagues analyzed the effects of Tret-BPO as a treatment for acne vulgaris.

The literature review used the MEDLINE and Embase repositories. Of 198 articles found in the initial search, the study included four phase 1, one phase 2 and two phase 3 ongoing studies.

According to the researchers, a greater proportion of patients in a phase 2 study treated with Tret-BPO vs. vehicle achieved IGA success (39.7% vs. 12.3%; P < .001) after 12 weeks of treatment.

In two phase 3 trials, Tret-BPO also had a higher IGA success rate compared with vehicle (trial 1, 38.5% vs. 11.5%; P < .001; trial 2, 25.4% vs. 14.7%; P = .017).

According to the researchers, the findings were limited due to a lack of clinical trials on Tret-BPO efficacy.

“Although the efficacy of Tret-BPO is not well-defined compared with other acne treatments, Tret-BPO is an effective and safe novel therapy in [acne vulgaris],” Singh and colleagues wrote.