Safety of a Novel Gel Formulation of Clindamycin Phosphate 1.2%–Tretinoin 0.025%: Results From a 52-Week Open-Label Study

Acne affects as many as 50 million individuals in the United States. Topical therapy combining a retinoid and an antibiotic is recommended as a first-line therapeutic option for mild to moderately severe acne. Although treatment for extended durations may be required, little long-term safety data on these combination therapies are available. This report summarizes the long-term safety and tolerability of a novel combination product for the treatment of acne vulgaris in participants 12 years and older. The combination treatment is a gel formulation containing a crystalline suspension of clindamycin phosphate 1.2%–tretinoin 0.025% (CLIN/RA). Two cohorts participated in a long-term (up to 52 weeks), multicenter, open-label, safety evaluation of CLIN/RA. Treatment duration was 6 months for the first cohort (N=442) and 12 months for the second cohort (N=213). Overall, the CLIN/RA gel was well-tolerated; 92%, 91%, and 94% of participants reported no itching, burning, or stinging, respectively. The most frequent adverse events were acne (29/442; 7% [usually a flare]), sunburn (12/442; 3%), hypersensitivity (7/442; 2%), contact dermatitis (5/442; 1%), and application-site desquamation (3/442; 1%). These results confirm the safety of CLIN/RA gel for mild to moderately severe acne. The CLIN/RA gel fixed-dose combination provided minimal adverse events and a favorable safety profile for 2 agents with established efficacy for the treatment of acne vulgaris.