What's New: A to Z

So what's new and what are some of the enhanced agents?

Azelaic Acid Cream: Azelex®

Azelex® is one you may or may not have heard of, it's made from pityrosporum, and it has a combination of activities, including being anti-inflammatory, anticomedonal, but can help with hyperpigmentation to a degree.

So this gives it a kind of a special niche, it may be of special benefit in swarthy and African-American patients, or those who come in and say, Hey, I used the benzoyl peroxide, I used the Retin-A, I got hyperpigmented, I don't want to do it again. Or I was so sensitive I wanted to die. This is a niche product you may want to think about.

Triaz®: Gel and Cleanser

Triaz®. Triaz® is a gel and cleanser, it's an antibacterial with some anticomedonal agent for acne lesions. One of the upsides of this is it has a glycolic and a zinc additive which may make it better tolerated. It has variable strengths which are really nice in your young patients where you want to start really low, but still have the ability to stay in a product line and move up in strength.

Its cost will compare with some of the costs of other agents, not too bad. It appears less irritating than some of the mainline benzoyl peroxides, the variable strength makes this a good potential starter, especially in my young acne patients. A very respected African-American dermatologist, Pearl Grimes, also reported in a very difficult condition, kind of an acneiform eruption of the beard area in young males that there was efficacy with this particular product.

Erythromycin-Zinc: Zineryt® Solution

Erythromycin and zinc. The good news it's great; the bad news it's not available in this country. It's the leading topical antibiotic combo in Europe, I think in many countries, and it combines erythromycin and zinc, and it's active against both comedonal and inflammatory acne. I would love to see it come to this country. It will sooner or later, so you heard it here, or if you have patients who are traveling to Europe who swear nothing else ever worked, it's called Zineryt®. Some day we'll have it here.