Clindamycin Phosphate 1.2% and Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% Gel for the Treatment of Moderate-to-severe Acne: An Update.

The use of fixed-combination products in acne is commonplace. Clindamycin and benzoyl peroxide are often used in combination, but benzoyl peroxide can cause irritation and dryness, sometimes limiting use. The true bothersome nature of this concentration-dependent tolerability has only recently been elucidated and is significant. An optimized formulation of clindamycin-benzoyl peroxide containing 2.5% benzoyl peroxide has been shown to be highly effective and well-tolerated when used to treat moderate-to-severe acne. A meta-analysis has shown clindamycin phosphate 1.2%-benzoyl peroxide 2.5% gel to be as effective as combinations containing 5% benzoyl peroxide, with possibly greater efficacy in treating noninflammatory lesions. Efficacy in moderate-to-severe and adolescent subpopulations has also been highlighted. Clinical objective assessments, such as lesion counts and physician grading classifications, alone do not adequately capture the impact of acne severity from a patient's perspective. Clindamycin phosphate 1.2%-benzoyl peroxide 2.5% has shown a high level of patient satisfaction and significant improvement in all four acne quality of life domains. This review brings together some of the most recent work on clindamycin phosphate 1.2%-benzoyl peroxide 2.5% gel from one of the most extensive clinical programs ever in moderate-to-severe acne.