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Could a common acne pill weaken the nose's defense against COVID-19?

NCT ID NCT04663906

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Aberdeen Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 31, 2026 · Last updated Sep 01, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are asking whether isotretinoin, a drug used for severe acne, might increase the chance of catching COVID-19 or having a worse outcome. The drug can dry out the nasal lining, which may reduce the mucus and cilia that help trap viruses. The study compares about 148 people aged 16 to 40 who took isotretinoin in 2020 with a much larger age-matched local population, looking at rates of infection, hospitalization, ICU admission, and death.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
oral isotretinoin
What this could lead to
If isotretinoin is found to increase COVID-19 risk, doctors could adjust treatment plans or monitoring for patients on this acne medication during respiratory virus outbreaks.
What could go wrong
This is a small observational comparison, not a controlled experiment, so other factors could explain any differences. The findings may not apply to other regions or future variants of the virus.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

148 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jan 2021

Finished

Sep 2021

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

148 patients taking isotretinoin aged 16-40 extracted from a clinical departmental database. Rates per 100000 were compared with the background age-matched local (NHS Grampian / Moray) population n=189633 people. The numbers in each population were finally determined when the database was interrogated and details were obtained from Health Intelligence, neither of which could happen prior to approvals.

Ages

16 to 40 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Test: prescribed oral isotretinoin in NHS Grampian age 16-40years inclusive, between March-Oct 2020 Background control population: residing in NHS Grampian including Moray catchment, age 16-40years, (this was found to be n=189633 people). Exclusion Criteria: * Test population: not prescribed oral isotretinoin in NHS grampian, outwith age range 16-40years or treatment range March-October 2020. Background control population: age outwith 16-40years, not resident in NHS Grampian / Moray catchment.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Coronavinae infectious disease COVID-19

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

COVID19 Isotretinoin adverse reaction

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Aberdeen Royal Infirmary

    Aberdeen, United Kingdom

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