Evaluation of nanoliposomal forms of retinoids’ efficiency in treatment of acne

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the clinical efficacy and tolerability profile of the nanoliposomal form of tretinoin in patients with moderate acne. The study was conducted as a randomised controlled trial involving 120 patients with moderate acne at the Department of Dermatovenereology, Allergology, Clinical and Laboratory Immunology of the Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine; over 12 weeks, clinical dynamics, subjective assessment of efficacy and the incidence of adverse reactions were compared with nanoliposomal and traditional forms of tretinoin. Patients treated with nanoliposomal tretinoin showed a 58.8% reduction in clinical acne severity, which indicated a higher therapeutic efficacy compared to the traditional formulation, where the reduction was only 41.7%. In this group, the number of inflammatory elements decreased by 64% and non-inflammatory elements by 53.7%, while in the control group, the corresponding figures were 42% and 34.6%, which confirmed the ability of the nanoform to affect both comedogenesis and inflammatory processes. Complete disappearance of inflammatory lesions was achieved in 28.3% of patients in the main group, which was more than twice as high as in the group of traditional tretinoin. The subjective assessment of treatment effectiveness was significantly higher among nanoform users (8.1 vs 6.3 points), indicating better satisfaction with the result. Adverse reactions occurred in less than 12% of participants in the main group, while in the comparison group, their frequency exceeded 25%, indicating a higher dermatological tolerance of the nanoliposomal drug. The results obtained can be used by dermatologists to make an informed choice of topical acne therapy, in particular when prescribing modern forms of tretinoin to patients with hypersensitivity of the skin or low tolerance to traditional drugs

Received: 19.12.2024 | Revised: 07.04.2025 | Accepted: 27.05.2025