Contributed by Lisa Olen| 18 December, 2004 14:22 GMT
Tthe cheapest treatment, benzoyl peroxide - which is available over the counter under many brand names - was 12 times more cost-effective than minocycline.
Over the counter (OTC) preparations of benzoyl peroxide lotion perform as well as prescription antibiotics in treating mild to moderate facial acne at a far lower cost, according to an article published in The Lancet reporting on a UK study.Facial acne is common among adolescents, and antibiotic tablets are often the first course of treatment doctors prescribe. However, antibiotic resistance is a growing concern.
Few studies have compared the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of different treatment options for acne -- including the comparison of tablet antibiotics and antibiotic lotions with the antimicrobial treatment benzoyl peroxide, say the authors of the article.
Similar Improvements in All Groups
Hywel Williams and colleagues from the Universities of Nottingham and Leeds, UK, compared 5 treatment options for acne in a randomised trial involving around 650 participants.
The following treatments were compared:
- the oral antibiotic oxytetracycline
- the oral antibiotic minocycline
- the topical antibiotic erythromycin
- the antimicrobial lotion benzoyl peroxide
- a combination of topical erythromycin and benzoyl peroxide
Most improvement occurred in the first six weeks of treatment. Self-reported improvements after 18 weeks were similar in all five treatment groups.
Cheaper Can Be Better
"Differences in cost-effectiveness between regimens were large," said Professor Williams, noting that "the cheapest treatment (benzoyl peroxide) was 12 times more cost-effective than minocycline.
"We found that clinical efficacy of oral tetracyclines is compromised by pre-existing propionibacterial resistance," he pointed out. "By contrast, topical regimens that included erythromycin and benzoyl peroxide were unaffected by resistance but were not superior to benzoyl peroxide alone."
Brands offering OTC benzoyl peroxide lotions include Clean & Clear, Clearasil, Neutrogena, Noxcema and Oxy 10, among many others. |
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