Acne

To a teenager, few things are more embarrassing than acne. Whether it's an isolated pimple or a severe outbreak, most adolescents--and some adults--would do just about anything to clear it up. Americans spend more than $100 million a year on over-the-counter acne treatments, and hundreds of millions more on visits to doctors and prescription medications for this skin disorder. The cost of treating acne is high, in part, because the problem is so common.

Allergan Inc. has won U.S. and Canadian marketing rights to an anti-acne medication sold in Europe by Schering AG of Germany, the company said Monday. Herbert Laboratories, the skin care division of Allergan, will begin clinical studies on the topical compound, azelaic acid, and seek FDA approval, a process expected to take at least three years, said Allergan spokesman Jeff D'Eliscu. Schering has been marketing azelaic acid as Skinoren cream in Europe, the company said.

Government officials are considering removing a popular anti-acne drug from the market because they estimate it has caused more than 900 babies to be born with severe birth defects, it was reported today. The officials, quoted in today's editions of the New York Times, said that they also are considering asking the maker of Accutane, Roche Laboratories, a division of Hoffman-La Roche Inc., t1864395881drug is used against disfiguring acne.

It is an embarrassing part of the experience of our teen years that most of us would rather not relive: acne. Unfortunately, this skin problem can pay a return visit even after we're well into adulthood. Acne, of course, is the term for oil-clogged pores that become inflamed and form blemishes. The problem starts inside the hair follicles under the skin's surface. Oil glands that open into the follicles release oil to protect the skin.

Connetics Corp. on Monday said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected the company's experimental acne gel, forcing it to cut 2005 profit and revenue targets and sending its stock down 27%. Shares of Connetics, whose experimental antifungal drug was rejected by the FDA last year, were down $5.64 to $15.13 in heavy trading, their lowest price in two years. It was the biggest percentage loser on Nasdaq.

Having struggled with acne for more than a decade, Aaron Goldberg had tried everything from antibiotics and prescription skin creams to Accutane, pills that often clear stubborn acne but carry many side effects. When his acne gradually returned about a year after finishing a course of Accutane, Goldberg, a 24-year-old law student, thought he had run out of options. He was wrong.

Being a teen-ager is filled with new experiences: You can get your driver's license and your first car, attend high school and the prom and battle acne. Back up a minute, you might say; Can't we just skip that last part? While acne is a part of young adulthood that we'd all like to skip, few are able to escape it entirely. Ninety percent of teen-agers will experience some form of this pesky problem on the face, neck, chest, back or arms. To the other 10%--the rest of us envy your luck.

A new light treatment that eliminates acne-causing skin bacteria without burning, redness or irritation may be a good alternative to topical lotions and oral antibiotics for patients with moderate breakouts. The Food and Drug Administration last week approved the ClearLight system for moderate cases of inflammatory acne vulgaris, which is harder to treat than the superficial pimples some people suffer and which can leave permanent scars.

The early reports tantalized: Retin-A, the highly successful acne cream, might help diminish some undesirable effects of sun-damaged skin--fine wrinkles, sagging, blotchiness. After more than three years of hype and hoopla, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has put the clamp on discussion of Retin-A as a treatment for sun-damaged skin, at least for now.

Acne is rarely thought of as persistent and debilitating, but for Lareina Deherrera, 33, the scourge of adolescence is just that. "Acne caused the most deep-rooted despair. It's like having a terminal illness. It almost destroyed me," says the Northridge woman whose 20-year ordeal with acne is finally drawing to a close. Recently, she underwent successful laser surgery, a promising new technique for removing facial scars left by acne.