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CompletedNCT00939133Updated Feb 10, 2015

Proof of Concept Study to Investigate the Recurrence of Acne Post Isotretinoin

A Phase 4 interventional study of tretinoin microsphere 0.04% gel and vehicle gel in Acne, sponsored by Dermatrials Research. Completed at 1 site in Canada. Open to male participants aged 18 Years to 45 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2015-02-10.

Sponsored by Dermatrials Research · Phase 4, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
20
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 45 Years
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

The use of topical retinoids is a mainstay and basis of early acne treatment to prevent the progression to inflammatory lesions. Post oral isotretinoin, it is not uncommon for non-inflammatory papules and comedones to recur. However, there has been no formal study to look at the prevention of recurrence of these acne lesions post isotretinoin in a long term basis. This may enhance the therapeutic options for post isotretinoin patients in order to prevent recurrence of their disease.

Hypothesis Tretinoin microsphere 0.04% will prevent recurrence of acne lesions.

Read the detailed description

Subjects will be randomized 1:1 to study product or vehicle. Subjects will be randomly assigned to each group by an unblinded dispenser.

The study duration will be 24 weeks with visits at baseline (week 0), week 4, week 8, week 16 and week 24. All study products will be administered once daily for 24 weeks. Subjects will apply a sufficient amount of study product to cover the entire face.

02

Conditions studied

  • Acne

Keywords

  • acne
  • tretinoin
  • isotretinoin
  • recurrence
  • Retin A micro
03

In context

Acne Vulgaris

750 studies on the registry are indexed under Acne Vulgaris; 89 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 20 is below the median of 69 across 647 interventional studies indexed under Acne Vulgaris.

Browse Acne Vulgaris studies →

Lead sponsor

Dermatrials Research is the lead sponsor of 3 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 45 Years
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

Subjects must fulfill all of the following criteria to be eligible for study admission:

  • Males aged between 18 and 45 years old who have successfully completed a treatment of acne with oral isotretinoin (Min 4 months/Maximum 6 months with an average of 5 months and a total of 120-150mg/kg/course).
  • Who can attend scheduled study follow-up visits at the outpatient dermatology clinic.
  • Agree to informed consent for participation in a study.
  • Agree to comply with the treatment and follow up procedures.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who receive isotretinoin for condition other than acne vulgaris.
  • Patients who have been off isotretinoin for less than 30 days or more than 90 days at the time of enrollment of the study.
  • Patients who have used prescription topical acne treatment (tretinoin, benzoyl peroxide, topical antibiotics or any combination products) between the end of therapy of isotretinoin within 2 weeks of study enrollment or oral antibiotics of any type between the end of therapy of isotretinoin within 4 weeks of study enrollment and throughout the study.
  • Patients who have been previously diagnosed with an endocrinological disorder likely to cause acne such as genital/adrenal hyperplasia, adrenal tumors or any other hypo androgenetic state.
  • Patients who are using any of the systemic medications likely to cause or abate acne such as oral Dilantin or any other epileptic, Finasteride, Spironolactone or Flutamine, testosterone or dietary body-building protein powders.
  • Have any nodulo-cystic lesions at baseline.
  • Used topical corticosteroids on the face or systemic corticosteroids within the past 4 weeks. Use of inhaled, intra-articular, or intra-lesional steroids other than for facial acne is acceptable.
  • Are currently using any medication that in the opinion of the investigator may affect the action or evaluation of the study product or place the subject at undue risk.
  • Used abradants, facials, peels containing glycolic or other acids; masks, washes, or soaps containing BPO, salicylic acid, or sulfacetamide sodium; non-mild facial cleansers; moisturizers that contain retinol, salicylic acid, or α- or β-hydroxy acids within the past 2 weeks.
  • Plan to use medications that are reported to exacerbate acne (e.g., mega-doses of certain vitamins, such as vitamin D [> 2000 IU per day] and vitamin B12 [> 1 mg/day], haloperidol, halogens [e.g., iodide and bromide], lithium, hydantoin, and phenobarbital), because these may impact efficacy assessments. Subjects who plan to use multivitamins, iron supplements and folate are acceptable.
  • Had a facial procedure (such as chemical or laser peel, microdermabrasion, blue light treatment, etc) performed by an esthetician, beautician, physician, nurse, or other practitioner, within the past 4 weeks or if it is planned to be performed during the conduct of the study.
  • Have a known hypersensitivity or have had previous allergic reaction to any of the active components or excipients of the study product.
  • Used any investigational therapy within the past 4 weeks, or currently participating in another clinical study.
  • Are currently abusing drugs or alcohol (drug screening not required).
  • Have a significant medical history of being immunocompromised.
  • Have other conditions that, in the judgment of the investigator, would put the subject at unacceptable risk for participation in the study.
  • Had any major illness within 30 days before the screening examination.
  • Currently are employees of R Vender, an investigator, or contract research organization (CRO) involved in the study, or an immediate family member (partner, offspring, parents, siblings or sibling's offspring) of an employee involved in the study.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
20 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Tretinoin microsphere 0.04% gel

    Drug: tretinoin microsphere 0.04% gel

  • Placebo comparator
    Vehicle gel

    Drug: vehicle gel

Interventions

  • Drugtretinoin microsphere 0.04% gel

    Applied daily to entire face for six months

    Also known as: Retin A micro 0.04%

  • Drugvehicle gel

    Placebo

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Primary objectives-to assess the efficacy of Retin A micro 0.04% on the recurrence rate of acne post isotretinoin use compared to vehicle.

    Time frame: Six Months

Secondary outcomes

  1. The percent change in lesion counts from baseline to week 16 and 24.

    Time frame: Six Months

  2. Proportion of subjects who have a Subject's Global

    Time frame: Assessment score of 0 or 1 at week 16 and 24

  3. Proportion of subjects who have an ISGA score of 0 or 1 at week 16 and 24.

    Time frame: At week 16 and 24

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Dermatrials Research
    Hamilton, Ontario L8N 1V6, Canada
08

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
Not marked actual or estimatedDates not marked actual or estimated

The record gives a start of Jul 2009, a primary completion of Dec 2010 and a completion of Dec 2010. It does not say whether these dates are actual or estimated.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jul 11, 2009
First posted
Jul 14, 2009
Start
Jul 2009
Primary completionActual
Dec 2010
CompletionActual
Dec 2010
Last update
Feb 10, 2015
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 10, 2015, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00939133
Lead sponsor
Dermatrials Research
Collaborators
Johnson & Johnson
Responsible party
Ronald Vender MD FRCPC (MD FRCPC, Dermatrials Research) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jul 14, 2009
Start date
Jul 2009
Primary completion
Dec 2010
Completion
Dec 2010
Last update
Feb 10, 2015

Study contacts

Ronald Vender, MD FRCPC
principal investigator · Dermatrials Research

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2015. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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