NCT07421804

Brief Summary

Acne vulgaris (AV) is one of the most prevalent dermatological conditions worldwide, affecting approximately 85% of adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12 and 24 years .While acne is often self-limiting, it can have profound psychosocial implications as individuals with acne are more likely to experience emotional distress, lower self-esteem and anxiety disorders . Acne Vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin condition affecting the pilosebaceous units that leads to the development of different skin lesions such as comedones, papules, pustules, nodules and cystic lesions .

Trial Health

65
Monitor

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
50

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable

Timeline
21mo left

Started Apr 2026

Typical duration for not_applicable

Status
not yet recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress10%
Apr 2026Apr 2028

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

February 8, 2026

Completed
11 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

February 19, 2026

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

April 1, 2026

Completed
1 year until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

April 1, 2027

Expected
1 year until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

April 1, 2028

Last Updated

February 19, 2026

Status Verified

February 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

1 year

First QC Date

February 8, 2026

Last Update Submit

February 12, 2026

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

  • Evaluate and compare the therapeutic efficacy (clinical, microbiological & psychological) of topical Dutasteride 0.05% versus topical fixed-dose Clindamycin Phosphate 1.2%, Benzoyl Peroxide 3.1%, and Adapalene 0.15% gel in patients with facial AV

    o Total lesions count (TLC) (inflammatory lesions and noninflammatory lesions)

    16 weeks

  • Evaluate and compare the therapeutic efficacy (clinical, microbiological & psychological) of topical Dutasteride 0.05% versus topical fixed-dose Clindamycin Phosphate 1.2%, Benzoyl Peroxide 3.1%, and Adapalene 0.15% gel in patients with facial AV

    o The investigator's global assessment (IGA) of acne severity grade modified to assess the half-face acne severity ; Treatment success will be defined as an Investigator's Global Assessment score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear), and a 2-grade or greater improvement from baseline at week 12.

    12 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (2)

  • Addressing the safety profile of the two topical therapeutics

    12 weeks

  • Psychological effect of AV and its relation to therapeutic outcomes

    12 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Topical Dutasteride 0.05% gel versus placebo (Petrolatum) (split face).

EXPERIMENTAL
Drug: topical dutasteride

Topical Dutasteride 0.05% gel versus topical triple fixed-dose combination

EXPERIMENTAL
Drug: topical dutasteride

Interventions

* Group I will be treated by topical Dutasteride 0.05% gel versus placebo (Petrolatum) (split face). * Group II will be treated by topical Dutasteride 0.05% gel versus topical triple fixed-dose Clindamycin Phosphate 1.2%, Benzoyl Peroxide 3.1%, and Adapalene 0.15% gel (split face).

Also known as: Dutasteride, Triple fixed combination
Topical Dutasteride 0.05% gel versus placebo (Petrolatum) (split face).Topical Dutasteride 0.05% gel versus topical triple fixed-dose combination

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Patients with facial acne vulgaris older than 18 years.

You may not qualify if:

  • · Unrealistic expectations.
  • Unable to follow up.
  • Severe and nodulocystic AV.
  • Patients on topical treatment for AV (4 weeks before enrollment) and on systemic treatment for AV (3 months before enrollment).
  • Patients on any systemic medication 3 months before enrollment.
  • Suspicion of malignancy, including prostate cancer
  • History of infertility or difficulty in fathering children.
  • Pregnancy \& lactation.
  • Planning to become pregnant during study period or 6 months after ending treatment
  • Patients with any concomitant dermatologic or systemic illness.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Related Publications (16)

  • Voutilainen A, Pitkaaho T, Kvist T, Vehvilainen-Julkunen K. How to ask about patient satisfaction? The visual analogue scale is less vulnerable to confounding factors and ceiling effect than a symmetric Likert scale. J Adv Nurs. 2016 Apr;72(4):946-57. doi: 10.1111/jan.12875. Epub 2015 Dec 22.

    PMID: 26689434BACKGROUND
  • El-Husseiny R, Elframawy S, Abdallah M. Comparative study between fractional carbon dioxide laser vs intralesional steroid injection in treatment of alopecia areata. Dermatol Ther. 2020 Jul;33(4):e13742. doi: 10.1111/dth.13742. Epub 2020 Jul 9.

    PMID: 32478930BACKGROUND
  • Boonpethkaew S, Ratanapokasatit Y, Chirasuthat S, Wattanakrai P. Efficacy and safety of the 589/1319 nm solid-state dual-wavelength laser combined with topical benzoyl peroxide for inflammatory acne vulgaris: a split-face randomized controlled trial. Arch Dermatol Res. 2025 Mar 26;317(1):635. doi: 10.1007/s00403-025-04146-6.

    PMID: 40140055BACKGROUND
  • Charakida A, Charakida M, Chu AC. Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of a lotion containing triethyl citrate and ethyl linoleate in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Br J Dermatol. 2007 Sep;157(3):569-74. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2007.08083.x. Epub 2007 Jul 16.

    PMID: 17635508BACKGROUND
  • Elradi M, Hamed DE, Eltwansy MS, Hosny D. The Impact of Acne on Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study from Egypt. Skin Appendage Disord. 2025 Jun;11(3):255-261. doi: 10.1159/000543051. Epub 2024 Dec 10.

    PMID: 40475110BACKGROUND
  • Kim KY, Song SY, Jung YJ, Jue MS, Hong JY, Kim BJ, Ko JY. A Randomized, Split-Face, Comparative Study of a Combined Needle Radiofrequency/Intense Pulsed Light Device in Moderate-to-Severe Acne Patients. Ann Dermatol. 2024 Oct;36(5):266-274. doi: 10.5021/ad.23.083.

    PMID: 39343753BACKGROUND
  • Kim HJ, Kim YH. Exploring Acne Treatments: From Pathophysiological Mechanisms to Emerging Therapies. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 May 13;25(10):5302. doi: 10.3390/ijms25105302.

    PMID: 38791344BACKGROUND
  • Beylot C, Auffret N, Poli F, Claudel JP, Leccia MT, Del Giudice P, Dreno B. Propionibacterium acnes: an update on its role in the pathogenesis of acne. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2014 Mar;28(3):271-8. doi: 10.1111/jdv.12224. Epub 2013 Aug 1.

    PMID: 23905540BACKGROUND
  • Almudimeegh A, AlMutairi H, AlTassan F, AlQuraishi Y, Nagshabandi KN. Comparison between dutasteride and finasteride in hair regrowth and reversal of miniaturization in male and female androgenetic alopecia: a systematic review. Dermatol Reports. 2024 Apr 12;16(4):9909. doi: 10.4081/dr.2024.9909. eCollection 2024 Nov 21.

    PMID: 39749123BACKGROUND
  • Leyden J, Bergfeld W, Drake L, Dunlap F, Goldman MP, Gottlieb AB, Heffernan MP, Hickman JG, Hordinsky M, Jarrett M, Kang S, Lucky A, Peck G, Phillips T, Rapaport M, Roberts J, Savin R, Sawaya ME, Shalita A, Shavin J, Shaw JC, Stein L, Stewart D, Strauss J, Swinehart J, Swinyer L, Thiboutot D, Washenik K, Weinstein G, Whiting D, Pappas F, Sanchez M, Terranella L, Waldstreicher J. A systemic type I 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor is ineffective in the treatment of acne vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2004 Mar;50(3):443-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2003.07.021.

    PMID: 14988688BACKGROUND
  • Panuganti VK, Kumar Madala P, Ramalingayya Grandhi V, Varma Alluri C, Mohammad J, Rao Kssvv S, Reddy Dundigalla M. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo and Active Controlled Phase II Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Novel Dutasteride Topical Solution (0.01%, 0.02%, and 0.05% w/v) in Male Subjects With Androgenetic Alopecia. Cureus. 2025 Aug 3;17(8):e89309. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89309. eCollection 2025 Aug.

    PMID: 40909044BACKGROUND
  • Del Rosso JQ, Kircik L. The cutaneous effects of androgens and androgen-mediated sebum production and their pathophysiologic and therapeutic importance in acne vulgaris. J Dermatolog Treat. 2024 Dec;35(1):2298878. doi: 10.1080/09546634.2023.2298878. Epub 2024 Jan 8.

    PMID: 38192024BACKGROUND
  • Gupta AK, Mann A, Vincent K, Abramovits W. CABTREOTM (Clindamycin Phosphate, Adapalene, and Benzoyl Peroxide) Topical Gel. Skinmed. 2024 Oct 22;22(5):375-378. eCollection 2024.

    PMID: 39433524BACKGROUND
  • Stein Gold L, Baldwin H, Kircik LH, Weiss JS, Pariser DM, Callender V, Lain E, Gold M, Beer K, Draelos Z, Sadick N, Pillai R, Bhatt V, Tanghetti EA. Efficacy and Safety of a Fixed-Dose Clindamycin Phosphate 1.2%, Benzoyl Peroxide 3.1%, and Adapalene 0.15% Gel for Moderate-to-Severe Acne: A Randomized Phase II Study of the First Triple-Combination Drug. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2022 Jan;23(1):93-104. doi: 10.1007/s40257-021-00650-3. Epub 2021 Oct 21.

    PMID: 34674160BACKGROUND
  • Reynolds RV, Yeung H, Cheng CE, Cook-Bolden F, Desai SR, Druby KM, Freeman EE, Keri JE, Stein Gold LF, Tan JKL, Tollefson MM, Weiss JS, Wu PA, Zaenglein AL, Han JM, Barbieri JS. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2024 May;90(5):1006.e1-1006.e30. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.12.017. Epub 2024 Jan 30.

    PMID: 38300170BACKGROUND
  • Sutaria AH, Masood S, Saleh HM, Schlessinger J. Acne Vulgaris. 2023 Aug 17. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459173/

    PMID: 29083670BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Acne Vulgaris

Interventions

Dutasteride

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Acneiform EruptionsSkin DiseasesSkin and Connective Tissue DiseasesSebaceous Gland Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

AzasteroidsSteroids, HeterocyclicSteroidsFused-Ring CompoundsPolycyclic Compounds

Central Study Contacts

Ola A Elminshawy, M.Sc.

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Principal investigator

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

February 8, 2026

First Posted

February 19, 2026

Study Start

April 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2028

Last Updated

February 19, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share