AI Article Synopsis

  • Topical acne trials face challenges from high responses to placebo treatments and varied outcome measures, complicating treatment comparisons; number needed to treat (NNT) offers a straightforward way to evaluate effectiveness indirectly.
  • Among 13 acne treatments analyzed, the effectiveness varied significantly, with a triple-combination gel showing the highest treatment success rates, leading to favorable NNTs of 4 and 5.
  • The study concludes that using consistent outcome measures and similar patient demographics highlights triple-combination gel and adapalene/BPO gel as the most effective options based on NNT results.

Article Abstract

Background: Topical acne trials often are confounded by high vehicle response rates and differing outcome measures, making it difficult to compare treatments. Number needed to treat (NNT) can be a simple, clinically meaningful way to indirectly compare treatment options without head-to-head data. NNT is the number of patients who need to be treated with an intervention to observe one additional patient successfully achieving a desired outcome versus vehicle/placebo. While treatment attributes such as adverse events may not be captured, lower NNT is a good indicator of a more effective treatment.

Methods: Following a search of combination topical treatments for acne vulgaris, all treatments that reported pivotal trial efficacy data consistent with the 2018 FDA definition of success were included in NNT analyses.  Results: Of 13 treatments, 7 reported 12-week treatment success rates in 11 phase 3 trials, with similar baseline demographics/disease severity. Treatment success ranged from 26.8% with tretinoin 0.1%/benzoyl peroxide (BPO) 3% cream to 50% with triple-combination clindamycin phosphate 1.2%/adapalene 0.15%/BPO 3.1% gel. NNTs for the triple-combination gel were 4 and 5 (from 2 pivotal trials). Adapalene 0.3%/BPO 2.5% gel had an NNT of 5. Tretinoin/BPO had the largest range between trials, with NNTs of 4 and 9. The other 4 treatments had NNTs ranging from 6 to 8.

Conclusion: A comparison of combination topical acne treatment trial data, using the same treatment outcome and similar patient populations, resulted in triple-combination clindamycin phosphate/adapalene/BPO gel and adapalene/BPO gel having the most favorable NNTs.J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(2):42-49.  doi:10.36849/JDD.7927.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.36849/JDD.7927DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

number needed
8
needed treat
8
topical acne
8
combination topical
8
treatments reported
8
treatment success
8
triple-combination clindamycin
8
treatment
6
treatments
5
nnt
5

Similar Publications

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) as one of the three critical priority pathogens. There is scarce literature evaluating the treatment outcomes in patients with CRPA infections treated with traditional non-carbapenem β-lactam (NCBL) agents. Thus, this study aims to assess the effectiveness of traditional NCBL compared to novel β-lactam agents (NVL) for treating non-carbapenem β-lactam -susceptible CRPA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Triclosan in the urine of Chinese youth: concentration, temporal variability, sources of exposure and predictive ability.

Chemosphere

December 2024

School of Medical Technology and Information Engineering, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address:

Triclosan (TCS) is an antimicrobial agent commonly used in personal care products. The assessment of TCS exposure in humans frequently relies on analyzing urinary TCS levels. Consequently, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the variability of TCS levels in urine.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Berberine (BBR), an alkaloid derivative mostly found in Oregon grapes and barberry shoots, has several medical properties, including anti-microbial, anti-tumorigenic, and anti-inflammatory properties. As such, it is a superior alternative to presently recommended medications. From previous researches, which showed that BBR has anti-arthritic qualities by blocking a number of inflammatory signalling pathways.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Ectopic pregnancy (EP) constitutes 1-2% of all pregnancies. Methotrexate (MTX) is commonly used in treating EP, but it has some limitations and potential side effects. Clinical studies have shown that letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, may potentially be used in conjunction with MTX therapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Effective healthcare delivery in today's diverse society necessitates healthcare providers' adeptness in navigating cultural and religious nuances in patient care. However, the integration of cultural competence training into medical education remains inadequate, particularly concerning the care of Muslim patients. In response, we introduce a novel educational intervention aimed at enhancing intercultural proficiency among medical students, emphasizing care for Muslim patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!