Adapalene in treatment of Acne Vulgaris: A review article

The inefficiency of current therapies of acne vulgaris, side effects and teratogenicity of topical and oral retinoids resulted in the need to find out new drugs. Adapalene 0.1% gel or solution with retinoid properties is effective in treatment of acne, and improves both inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions. The anti-inflammatory properties of adapalene and its specific tendency to bind to retinoic acid receptors (RAR) are characteristic. Different multicenter clinical trials have demonstrated that topical adapalene is much better tolerated and at least as effective in the treatment of acne as the topical tretinoin 0.025% gel. In conclusion the equal efficacy and superior tolerability of adapalene compared to tretinoin, and also its unique anti-inflammatory effects, made this new agent a major advance in topical therapy of acne.