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Benzoyl Peroxide Clindamycin Brand Names
Acanya | BenzaClin | Duac | Neuac | ONEXTON
What is Benzoyl Peroxide Clindamycin
Benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin are used in combination as a topical acne vulgaris product. Both drugs exhibit antibacterial activity against the organism Propionibacterium acnes, however, the clinical significance of this action is not known.
P. acnes is believed to be the primary causative organism of acne vulgaris and is part of the skin’s normal flora; it metabolizes sebaceous triglycerides, consuming glycerol, and producing free fatty acids.
P. acnes and the production of fatty acids are believed to stimulate neutrophil chemoattractants, activate compliment, and result in an inflammatory response. Bacterial resistance of P. acnes to clindamycin and erythromycin is increasing.
As a result, many clinicians recommend the use of clindamycin only in combination with benzoyl peroxide for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Benzoyl peroxide exhibits drying actions, sebostatic effects, and causes mild skin desquamation. Use of benzoyl peroxide; clindamycin topical gel results in improvements in inflammatory acne lesions.
For non-inflammatory acne, the combination does not appear to be more effective than the use of benzoyl peroxide alone.
According to the package insert, Duac Topical Gel resulted in greater overall improvement in the investigators’ global assessment than the benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and vehicle groups for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of moderate to moderately severe facial acne vulgaris in 3 of 5 clinical studies.
According to the BenzaClin package insert, BenzaClin applied twice daily for 10 weeks was significantly more effective (based on lesion counts and global assessment) than benzoyl peroxide alone, clindamycin alone, or vehicle in the treatment of moderate to moderately severe facial acne vulgaris.
The combination has also been used off-label as a treatment for acne rosacea.
Benzoyl peroxide clindamycin topical gel was approved in January 2001.
Indications
- acne rosacea
- acne vulgaris
- Propionibacterium acnes
Side Effects
- anaphylactoid reactions
- erythema
- pruritus
- pseudomembranous colitis
- skin discoloration
- skin irritation
- superinfection
- urticaria
- xerosis
Monitoring Parameters
- laboratory monitoring not necessary
Contraindications
- breast-feeding
- children
- clindamycin hypersensitivity
- colitis
- Crohn’s disease
- diarrhea
- eczema
- GI disease
- infants
- inflammatory bowel disease
- lincomycin hypersensitivity
- neonates
- ocular exposure
- pregnancy
- pseudomembranous colitis
- skin abrasion
- skin disease
- sunburn
- sunlight (UV) exposure
- ulcerative colitis
Interactions
- Clindamycin; Tretinoin
- Dapsone
- Fluocinolone; Hydroquinone; Tretinoin
- Halobetasol; Tazarotene
- Hydroquinone
- Isotretinoin
- Mequinol; Tretinoin
- Porfimer
- Salicylic Acid
- Sodium Thiosulfate; Salicylic Acid
- Tazarotene
- Topical Local Anesthetics
- Tretinoin, ATRA
- Trifarotene
- Verteporfin