Allergan’s Aczone topical acne treatment hits stores

IRVINE, Calif. The first new topical acne drug to win Food and Drug Administration approval in a decade has reached the shelves.

Allergan announced Monday the availability of Aczone Gel 5 percent, a first-in-class topical treatment for inflammatory acne. The drug is known generically as dapsone.

The company said two clinical studies showed visible reductions in lesions as early as two weeks into treatment, with a 24 percent reduction after two weeks and a 35 percent reduction after four weeks.

“Topical dapsone is the first new molecule for the treatment of acne in many years,” study author Zoe Draelos said in a statement. “It offers dermatologists another treatment option for this common disease.”