Clasoteron is the first real breakthrough in the treatment of acne, after several decades in which anti-acne treatments were not developed. While the promising treatment began being used in the United States several months ago, the timing of its worldwide availability is still unknown.
The American doctor, specializing in dermatology, John Barbieri, says that “the most promising in the treatment of clascutiron is that it confronts the hormones that cause acne in a new way.”
Since the end of 2021, American doctors have been able to prescribe the new ointment that treats acne, which constitutes a skin disease that people rarely escape from during their lives, and affects about three out of every four teenagers.
There is a scarcity of therapeutic developments to tackle this very common disease, although research on other details such as the role of diet in the emergence of acne has recently developed. Prior to the discovery of claskotron, anti-acne treatments had not progressed for nearly 40 years. The topical treatments were divided into two main categories: the first was a treatment that killed acne-causing bacteria by taking antibiotics, while the second treatment worked to reduce the accumulation of dead skin cells, which promote inflammation.
As for claskosterone, it makes skin cells less responsive to hormones that produce ‘sebum extrusion’, an oily substance that acne sufferers produce in excess.
No side effects
Other oral treatments work on the hormonal level as well, but they are usually birth control pills, so they are prescribed to women only, and through their direct effect on hormone production, they lead to stronger side effects than acne. A study published in 2020 in the journal “Jama Dermatology” stated that “clascuterone is more effective than an alternative treatment, which is given to patients automatically, and does not lead to severe side effects.”
The results of this study were sufficient to make the US authorities authorize the use of claskosterone. But this new treatment is not magic, nor is it a revolution against acne.
French dermatologist Emily Spidian says that the study “did not compare clascuteron with currently available treatments, so we don’t know whether the new treatment is the best”, but she nonetheless notes that the new drug is “very interesting”, because it gives hope. It is new for patients who are reluctant to resort to other treatments, or it can be added to these treatments to increase their effectiveness.
Not available in Europe at the moment
In Europe, the issue of the new treatment is not currently on the table, and there is no indication that it will become available soon, and the reason for this delay is not due to the reluctance of the health authorities to study the issue.
The European Medicines Agency says that it has not yet begun evaluating the drug, and the issue is currently related to the options of the Swiss company “Cosmo Pharma” that manufactures the drug. Diana Harport, Head of Dermatology at Cosmo Pharma, explains: “Because we are a small group, we initially focused on the issue of the drug’s approval in the United States, which is the largest market in the world, and where another company (Sun Pharma) distributes medicine right now.