Topical Retinoyl β-Glucuronide Is an Effective Treatment of Mild to Moderate Acne vulgaris in Asian-Indian Patients

Abstract

Topical retinoyl β-glucuronide (RBG) is beneficial in the treatment of mild to moderate acne (acne vulgaris) in patients largely of North-European origin in the US. Because the skin types of people in India are different from those in the US, we investigated the effectiveness and toxicity of topical RBG in acne patients in India. Each day, 27 acne patients were treated topically with the vehicle, and 39 acne patients were treated topically with 0.16% RBG cream for 18 weeks in a double-blind study. A significant reduction (p < 0.001) in total lesions, inflammatory lesions and noninflammatory lesions in patients treated with RBG as compared with the vehicle only (86.8, 80.2 and 94.6% vs. 40.1, 34.3 and 50%, respectively) was observed. No side effects were associated with topical RBG treatment. Thus, topical 0.16% RBG is a rapid, effective and nontoxic treatment for mild to moderate acne in Asian-Indian patients.

A comparison of adapalene gel 0.1% vs. tretinoin gel 0.025% in the treatment of acne vulgaris in China

“…Findings of small studies support the efficacy and safety of laser skin resurfacing, 6,7 glycolic acid peels, 8 and topical retinoyl beta-glucuronide, 9 as effective primary or adjunctive therapies for acne vulgaris in various Asian skin types. There is also at least one series of case reports in the traditional Chinese medicine literature suggesting that acupuncture in combination with traditional 'cupping' is effective for treatment of acne.…”

Topical Treatment in Acne: Current Status and Future Aspects

“…A 0.16% retinoyl-β-glucuronide cream was shown to be effective against inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions in Asian-Indian patients [37]as well as in patients in the US, with comparable efficacy to tretinoin, but without the irritation potential or other side effects of tretinoin [38]. The percutaneous absorption, metabolism and excretion of topically applied radioactive retinoyl-β-glucuronide and tretinoin were similar in the rat and thus not of relevance for the differences in local tolerance [39].…”

Intestinal absorption and metabolism of retinoyl β-glucuronide in humans, and of 15-[14C]-retinoyl β-glucuronide in rats of different vitamin A status

“…RAG is effective in the topical treatment of mild to moderate acne with no side effects [8,9]. Surprisingly, very large oral doses of RAG (0.38 to 1.41 mmol/kg body wt.)…”