Could a Once-a-Week acne pill replace daily antibiotics?
NCT ID NCT06225570
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares a weekly dose of isotretinoin (a vitamin A derivative) to daily tetracycline antibiotics for treating moderate acne. Researchers want to see if the weekly approach works just as well, with fewer side effects and less reliance on antibiotics. The trial will enroll 50 people aged 12 and older and track acne improvement, side effects, and patient satisfaction over four months.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Isotretinoin (a vitamin A derivative) taken weekly, compared to standard tetracycline antibiotics taken daily
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, safer way to treat moderate acne with fewer side effects and less antibiotic use.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early (Phase 1) trial with only 50 people, so results may not hold up in larger studies. Isotretinoin has known side effects like dry skin and mood changes.
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
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Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2025
- Expected to finish
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May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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.
- Ages
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12 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: \- Male and Female patients, 12 years and older with a diagnosis of Moderate Acne Vulgaris Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who are at baseline on long-term Tetracycline antibiotics, long-term Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole, or on Spironolactone for any reason * Patients who have taken Isotretinoin in the past 6 months * Patients with hypersensitivity to Isotretinoin or to any of its components * Females who are pregnant, likely to become pregnant, or will be breast-feeding during the study period * Patients with a history of major depression, mania, or psychosis with an active episode during the past year including current psychotic symptoms and/or current suicidal ideation * Adult patients with cognitive impairment * Patients with baseline kidney or liver disease * Patients with baseline hypertriglyceridemia * Patients with history of or current pseudotumor cerebri * Patients with any clinically significant unstable medical condition which could pose a risk to the safety of the patient * Inability or unwillingness of subject or legal guardian/representative to give informed consent
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Medical University of South Carolina
RECRUITINGCharleston, South Carolina, 29403, United States
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