Inflammatory Acne Treatment: Review of Current and New Topical Therapeutic Options

Acne vulgaris (AV) is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by the presence of comedones, papules, pustules, and nodules. Consensus guidelines recommend the use of combination therapy using different drugs with complementary mechanisms of action to best address as many acne pathogenic factors as possible at the same time. Topical acne medications exist as individual agents that may be combined in physician-recommended regimens or as pre-formulated fixed-dose combination products. In addition, there are several new and promising topical therapies currently being developed that work by different mechanisms of action from traditionally used acne therapies. The following review will cover commonly used drugs, newcomers to the market, and what the future holds for the topical treatment of AV.