Isotretionin History

Prior to the development of isotretinoin, the main stay treatment of moderate to severe or persistent acne was oral antibiotics such as the tetracyclines and erythromycin. While these drugs have proven efficacy, they worked against only one contributing factor of acne – the Propionibacteriumacnes bacteria. The antibiotics gradually became less effective over time as more resistant strains of the bacterium became prominent.

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Isotretinoin

Isotretinoin is a medication used for the treatment of severe acne. It is sometimes used as a chemotherapy medication for prevention and treatment of certain skin cancers. In some cases, it is used to treat Harlequin type ichthyosis, a usually lethal skin deformation in which sufferers develop armor plated-like skin and usually die soon after birth. It is a retinoid, meaning it derives from vitamin A and is found in smallquantities naturally in the body. Oral isotretinoin is marketed under various trade names, most commonly Accutane (Roche), Amnesteem (Mylan),Claravis (Barr), Decutan (Actavis), Isotane (PacificPharmaceuticals), Sotret (Ranbaxy), Oratane(GenepharmAustralasia) or Roaccutane (Roche), Izotek (BlauFarma);while topical isotretinoin is most commonly marketed under the trade names Isotrex or Isotrexin (Stiefel).

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