Efficacy of topical azelaic acid gel in the treatment of mild-moderate acne vulgaris.

BACKGROUND Twenty percent azelaic acid gel is recommended as a topical treatment for acne due to its favorable profile. AIM Our objective in this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 20% azelaic acid gel in the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris. METHODS This was a double blind, randomized clinical trial. Sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris were selected randomly to receive either azelaic acid gel or the vehicle gel alone. Patients were followed up every 15 days for a period of 45 days. The number of lesions and the acne severity index (ASI) were recorded and compared using Student's t-test. RESULTS Total lesion count was reduced by 60.6% and 19.9% by azelaic acid gel and the placebo respectively (P = 0.002). ASI was reduced by 65.2% and 21.3% by azelaic acid gel and the placebo respectively (P = 0.001), i.e, azelaic acid gel was 3.06 times more effective than the placebo in reducing ASI. CONCLUSION Azelaic acid gel can be used as an effective treatment in mild to moderate acne vulgaris.