[Double-blind group comparison of topical meclocycline, erythromycin and placebo in the treatment of papulo-pustulosa acne].

Ten institutions participated in a controlled clinical trial in order to evaluate the efficacy of topical meclocycline and erythromycin in comparison to placebo with regard to papulopustular acne. Both drugs had been incorporated in the same galenic formulation that served as placebo. The vehicle employed in this study guaranteed equally favorable drug relies for both preparations. At the end of the trial, 419 patients could be evaluated for efficacy. As impartial criterion for evaluation, the number of inflammatory lesions on the right side of the face was counted before and after three months of treatment. In addition, we recorded the patients' and physicians' overall judgment at the end of the study. As compared with placebo, meclocycline as well as erythromycin brought about statistically significant improvement already after two months of treatment. After three months, the results were statistically very highly significant (p less than 0.001). At any time of the study, there could not be demonstrated any difference between the two groups treated with meclocycline and erythromycin.