Community-based trial results of combination clindamycin 1%--benzoyl peroxide 5% topical gel plus tretinoin microsphere gel 0.04% or 0.1% or adapalene gel 0.1% in the treatment of moderate to severe acne.

Acne is characterized by different types of lesions at different stages of development. Therefore, combination therapy may offer numerous advantages, including enhanced efficacy and better tolerability. The addition of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) to all long-term antibiotic treatment is widely advocated to help suppress the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Topical retinoids are recommended as early initiation treatment of most patients with acne because they target most mechanisms of acne pathogenesis. In the clinical setting, therapeutic regimens that include retinoids and topical antibiotic-BPO combination formulations frequently are prescribed. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with clindamycin 1%-BPO 5% topical gel plus tretinoin microsphere (RAM) gel 0.04% or 0.1% or adapalene (AP) gel 0.1% in moderate to severe acne.