In this interview with HCPLive, Lawrence Eichenfield, MD, spoke at the 2023 Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference in Las Vegas on the October 21 decision by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve IDP-126 for acne treatment of patients 12 years and older.¹

Eichenfield is the chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology for Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego. He also serves as professor of dermatology and pediatrics as well as vice-chair of the department of dermatology at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

In this discussion, Eichenfield went into his views on the approval of clindamycin 1.2%/adapalene 0.15%/benzoyl peroxide 3.1% (Cabtreo), formerly known as IDP-126.

“I'm very excited about the approval of that product,” Eichenfield said. “Now, I have served as an investigator for that product over the years, and so I've seen, both in clinical practice in those studies and in the data, incredibly consistent results, that with this triple formulation of clindamycin and adapalene and benzoyl peroxide, you're getting results that are pretty much historically what you get with oral antibiotics and a good topical retinoid or retinoid combination.”

He noted that the product very consistently led to over 50% of the study participants making it to clear or almost clear in a fairly short period of time.

“That's like a slam dunk,” Eichenfield said. “Incredibly high efficacy, 75% plus inflammatory lesion decrease in the studies. Very consistent response with non-inflammatory lesions as well. So I am excited to have that product, and I am hopeful that access issues won't get in the way of my using it for my patients. You know, we've tried to be good stewards, not using too many oral antibiotics. We still rely on them a lot in acne.

Eichenfield added that while clinicians have alternatives or hormonal therapies, getting a topical and putting it in the hands of patients is encouraging. He was asked about the access issues mentioned in his previous statement, as well as other elements of the decision.

“We did a big review article for Jama with Dawn Eichenfield, who was first author and I was senior, where we reviewed the whole landscape and asked if this changes things,” he said. “If we can decrease the use of oral antibiotics with the use of the new triple topical, that would be great. It means that we might be able to get more patients under control without the need for systemic agents, which I think would be a good thing.”

Additionally, Eichenfield stated that the significance of the triple action element of the product is that it put together a set of medicines that are effectively targeting different aspects of the acne.

To learn more from Eichenfield on this topic, view the full interview segment above.

The quotes contained in this article were edited for the purposes of clarity.

References

1. ^{Kunzmann K. FDA Approves IDP-126 (Cabtreo), First Triple-Combination Drug for Acne. HCPLive. October 21, 2023. Date accessed: October 21, 2023.https://www.hcplive.com/view/fda-approves-first-triple-combination-drug-acne.}