Generic acne gel put to the test in large trial
NCT ID NCT07469228
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This completed Phase 1 trial compared a generic tretinoin gel (0.04%) to the brand-name RETIN-A MICRO for treating acne vulgaris. Over 1,000 participants aged 12 to 40 with mild to moderate acne applied the gel daily for 12 weeks. The goal was to see if the generic version works just as well and is as safe as the original.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- tretinoin gel microsphere, 0.04%
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that the generic tretinoin gel works as well as the brand-name version for treating acne.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early Phase 1 trial focused on equivalence, not a new breakthrough. Results may not confirm the generic is as effective or safe as the reference drug.
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.
- Phase
-
Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
-
1,043 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Aug 2025
- Finished
-
Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
12 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 Hide 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: * Healthy male or non-pregnant female aged ≥ 12 and ≤ 40 years with a clinical diagnosis of acne vulgaris. * Subjects who are 18 years of age or older must have provided IRB approved written informed consent. * Subjects must have a definite clinical diagnosis of acne vulgaris severity grade 2, 3 or 4 as per the Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA). * Subjects must have ≥ 25 non-inflammatory lesions (i.e., open and closed comedones) AND ≥ 20 inflammatory lesions (i.e., papules and pustules) AND ≤ 2 nodulocystic lesions (i.e., nodules and cysts), at baseline on the face. Exclusion Criteria: * Female Subjects who are pregnant, nursing or planning to become pregnant during study participation. * Subjects with a history of hypersensitivity or allergy to tretinoin, retinoids, or any of the study medication ingredients. * Subjects with the presence of any skin condition that would interfere with the diagnosis or assessment of acne vulgaris (e.g., on the face: rosacea, dermatitis, psoriasis, squamous cell carcinoma, eczema, acneiform eruptions caused by medications, steroid acne, steroid folliculitis, or bacterial folliculitis). * Subjects with a baseline irritation score of 3 = severe (marked, intense). * Subjects with eczematous skin.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc.
Hawthorne, New York, 10532, United States
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