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Home › Conditions › acne

Acne

Part of Acne vulgaris

1 published article · Updated continuously

Clinical Trial Landscape

Clinical Trials for acne

38 trials tracked for acne: 28 in phase 3 or 4 and 7 with published results. The most-cited published study has 51 citations.

38Trials tracked
28Phase 3 & 4
0Recruiting
7With published results
Phase distribution
Phase 4 13 Phase 3 15 Phase 2 3 Other / NA 7
  1. Phase 3 Efficacy & Safety Comparison of Epiduo With Doxycycline Versus Vehicle With Isotretinoin in the Treatment of Severe Acne Completed · 51 cited
  2. Phase 4 Patient Education in Adherence on Acne (PEAce) Completed · 20 cited
  3. Phase 4 Blue Light Therapy of C. Acnes Completed · 19 cited
  4. Phase 4 ABSORICA in Patients With Severe Recalcitrant Nodular Acne Completed · 13 cited
  5. Phase 4 Pain Outcomes Following Intralesional Corticosteroid Injections Completed · 9 cited
  6. Phase 3 Efficacy and Safety of IDP-121 and IDP-121 Vehicle Lotion in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris Completed · 3 cited
Show 32 more trials
  1. Phase 3 Efficacy and Safety of IDP-121 and IDP-121 Vehicle Lotion in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris Completed · 3 cited
  2. Phase 4 Administration of Oral Extended Release Minocycline for Assessment of Skin and Plasma Concentrations of Minocycline Completed
  3. Phase 4 Efficacy and Safety of Aczone 7.5% Gel in the Treatment of Truncal Acne Vulgaris Completed
  4. Phase 4 The Use of Oracea and Epiduo Forte in Severe Acne Patients Completed
  5. Phase 4 A Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Two Acne Treatments Completed
  6. Phase 4 Profiling the Skin Microbiome in Response to Altreno in Acne Patients Completed
  7. Phase 4 Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Benzoyl Peroxide Used in Combination With Clindamycin vs. Benzoyl Peroxide Used in Combination With Clindamycin and Doxycycline in the Treatment of Moderate Acne Completed
  8. Phase 4 Comparative Antimicrobial Efficacy of Two Topical Acne Therapies for the Treatment of Facial Acne Completed
  9. Phase 4 Epiduo Pediatric Acne Study Completed
  10. Phase 4 Adapalene BPO Gel Pump, Moisturizer SPF 30 and Foam Wash in Patients With Mild to Moderate Acne Vulgaris Completed
  11. Phase 3 Clinical Study to Test the Efficacy and Safety of ACYC to Treat Moderate to Severe Acne Completed
  12. Phase 3 Bioequivalence Study of Tretinoin Gel 0.05% to Brand Tretinoin Gel Completed
  13. Phase 3 Clinical End Point Study of Generic Adapalene and Benzoyl Peroxide Gel Versus Epiduo® Forte Gel in Treatment of Acne Vulgaris Completed
  14. Phase 3 Comparative Safety and Efficacy of Two Treatments in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris Completed
  15. Phase 3 A Study to Compare Clindamycin Phosphate and Benzoyl Peroxide Topical Gel 1.2%/2.5% to Acanya® Topical Gel in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris Completed
  16. Phase 3 Comparative Safety and Bioequivalence of Two Treatments in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris Completed
  17. Phase 3 Comparison of Four Different Regimens of Adapalene 0.1% / Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% Gel in Acne Vulgaris Completed
  18. Phase 3 An Efficiency of a Moisturizer Containing Licochalcone A, L-carnitine and 1,2-decanediol With Adapalene Gel in Acne Completed
  19. Phase 3 Bioequivalence Study of Generic Tretinoin 0.1% Microsphere Gel, 0.1% Retin-A Micro® and Placebo Completed
  20. Phase 3 Adapalene-Benzoy Peroxide (BPO) Gel in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris as a 6-month Maintenance Completed
  21. Phase 3 Bioequivalence Study of Generic Tretinoin 0.04% Microsphere Gel, 0.04% Retin-A Micro® and Placebo Completed
  22. Phase 3 A Clinical Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of an Investigational Product Called CT Gel Completed
  23. Phase 2 Fractional Resurfacing Device for Treatment of Acne Scarring Completed
  24. Phase 2 Topical ASC-J9 Cream for Acne Completed
  25. Phase 2 Efficacy and Safety of CD5024 1% in Acne Vulgaris Completed
  26. N/A Evaluation of the Cutera Enlighten™ Laser With Micro-Lens Array (MLA) Handpiece Attachment Completed
  27. N/A Study To Assess A Radiofrequency Microneedling Device For Dermatologic Conditions Completed
  28. N/A Study of the Use of Low Level Laser Therapy to Reduce Acne Completed
  29. N/A A Pilot Clinical Trial Investigating the Effect of Cutaneous Cooling on Sebum Production Completed
  30. N/A Clinical Investigation on the Safety and Clinical Performance of Papix Acne Scar. Completed
  31. N/A Evaluation of the Role of Propionibacterium Acnes in the Inflammatory Lesions Associated With Acne Vulgaris Completed
  32. N/A Pilot Study Investigating the Efficacy of Fat Grafting as a Treatment for Male and Female Facial Acne Scarring Completed

Showing the 38 most-cited and recently-updated of 38 trials. Browse the full registry →

Trial data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. Counts describe the research landscape and are not a treatment recommendation. Informational only — not medical advice.

What the trials found For clinicians

Acne: what the trials found

Several topical combinations have demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing acne lesions. Adapalene/benzoyl peroxide combination showed a success rate of 47.2% compared to 15.4% (p<0.001) and a 55.5% reduction in total lesion counts (p<0.001) 11. Similarly, clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide combinations resulted in mean reductions of approximately 61-72% for inflammatory lesions and 32-59% for non-inflammatory lesions [17, 19].

Specific topical agents like Epiduo Forte Gel showed significant improvements at week 12, with a 74.2% reduction in inflamed lesions and a 65.4% reduction in non-inflamed lesions, achieving high clinical success rates (p<0.0001) 20. Other treatments such as Tretinoin 21 and ACYC 22 also showed measurable reductions in baseline acne lesions.

IDP-121 Lotion demonstrated statistically significant improvements in both inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesion counts compared to placebo at week 12 (p<0.001) [15, 16]. Dapsone 7.5% gel showed a 74% reduction in inflammatory lesions and a 72% reduction in non-inflammatory lesions by week 16 8.

Systemic treatments included in the evidence include Isotretinoin, which was associated with improvements in acne-specific quality of life scores at week 20 3, and various antibiotics such as Minocycline 9 and Doxycycline 7.

For the clinician treating this condition

  • Combination therapies involving benzoyl peroxide (with clindamycin or adapalene) consistently show high efficacy in reducing both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions.
  • Epiduo Forte Gel is associated with significant clinical success rates and substantial reductions in lesion counts within 12 weeks.
  • IDP-121 Lotion provides statistically significant improvements over placebo in multiple trial cohorts.

AI synthesis of 8 cited trials, updated Jun 28, 2026. Informational only — not medical advice; trial data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. How we use AI.

HCP Mode — summaries include clinical detail, trial data, and statistical outcomes.
Patient Mode — summaries use plain language, avoiding clinical jargon.
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Research across Acne vulgaris

Related studies from across the Acne vulgaris family.

Systematic review and meta-analysis compares oral azithromycin and doxycycline for moderate to severe acne
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Systematic review and meta-analysis compares oral azithromycin and doxycycline for moderate to severe acne Azithromycin may work better than doxycycline for some acne cases
This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized evidence on oral azithromycin pulse therapy versus doxycycline for moderate to severe a…
A new review finds azithromycin pulse therapy may improve acne more than doxycycline, with fewer side effects for some patients.
May 5, 2026
Acne vulgaris associated with higher psychiatric symptoms and disordered eating in case-control study
Rheumatology Case-Control
Acne vulgaris associated with higher psychiatric symptoms and disordered eating in case-control study Acne Linked to Binge Eating and Depression in New Study
This case-control study of 120 patients with acne vulgaris and 100 healthy controls found significantly higher psychiatric symptoms, disorde…
Acne isn't just a skin problem—it's deeply tied to mental health and eating habits, affecting how patients feel about their entire lives.
Frontiers Apr 23, 2026