Leon Kircik, MD, FAAD: The Evolving Acne Arsenal

From oral antibiotics to topical retinoids to a triple combination treatment that’s in development, the treatment landscape for acne vulgaris is continuing to evolve. Experts will gather for an “Acne Boot Camp” at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 2023 Annual Meeting, held March 17-21, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to discuss best practices for treating patients with acne, including strategies to encourage adherence to regimens.

Leon H. Kircik, MD, FAAD, a clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in

New York who also runs his own clinical practice and research center in Louisville, Kentucky, will direct the session. He spoke with Dermatology Times® ahead of the meeting to preview the key points and benefits of attending.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

Dermatology Times: You will be directing a session at AAD called “Acne Boot Camp.” Why should your colleagues attend this session?

Kircik: I am proud to say that I have a star-studded faculty. We have now doing this boot camp for the last 5 years it has been very, very favorable and highly attended; the room is always packed. I think AAD recognized that and [we] keep continuing the same program. I have Dr. Chris Bunick, who just published an article on sarecycline antibiotics. He's an expert on oral antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. I have Dr. Bethanee Jean Schlosser, who is an expert on oral contraceptives and hormonal treatments for acne. I have Dr. Emmy Graber, who is an acne expert on topical retinoids. I have Dr. Joshua Zeichner, who is—I call him an isotretinologist—going to be discussing isotretinoin. I'm going to give the [talk on] what's new and what's in the pipeline for acne treatments, so it's going to be a great session. I welcome everyone.

Dermatology Times: Can you preview some of the practical pearls for treating patients with oral and topical agents?

Kircik: If we go 1 by 1 from each section…sarecycline is a new oral antibiotic that's approved just for acne treatment. Dr. Bunick is going to go over that and also discuss the differences, when it comes to antibiotic resistance, for narrow-spectrum antibiotics versus larger, wider-spectrum antibiotics.

Dr. Graber is going to go over how to use topical retinoids in an efficient way, in a way that makes it more tolerable for our patients…we always need adjuvant treatment in dermatology. We always use combination treatment, as well as regimens, especially when it comes to acne. Our patients like it, but also it makes it difficult to [make the] drugs more tolerable, especially when it comes to topical retinoids, so Dr. Graber is going to go over that.

Dr. Zeichner is going to go over the new iPLEDGE and what's going on in the iPLEDGE world with the isotretinoin use, which is always a hot topic. And then Dr. Schlosser is going to go over the oral contraceptives, and new topical hormonal treatment. As you know, some of us say “every acne treatment is hormonal because it starts with sebum production.” Dr. Julie Harper always says that, and I agree with that.

I, myself, will go over what's new in the pipeline that’s coming for acne treatment. I think it's very exciting that we're going have a new triple combo; it's the first time we're going to have a topical triple combo in acne treatment.

Dermatology Times: Can you provide a brief overview of agents in the pipeline for acne vulgaris?

Kircik: I think the most exciting agent in the pipeline, that I call “dreams come true,” [that] we have really worked to have a topical triple combo, meaning a topical retinoid, a topical antibiotic, as well as a benzoyl peroxide. We couldn't accomplish that combo [previously]…. It's a topical adapalene, benzoyl peroxide, and topical clindamycin, and it's going to be a very, very unique product that we expect to hit every aspect of acne treatment, and we never had it. Stay tuned, coming soon.

The AAD session, “Acne Boot Camp,” will be held Saturday, March 18, 2023, from 3:30-5:30 PM CDT in New Orleans Theater A.

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Faculty Disclosures: Dr Kircik reports serving as a board member for the American Academy of Dermatology; he reports serving on paid advisory boards for Aclaris, Allergan, Almirall, Amgen, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Arcutis, Arena, Biogen-Idec, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cassiopea, Cipher, Colbar, Connetics Corporation, Dermavant, Dermira, Dr. Reddy’s Lab, Eli Lilly, EOS, Exeltis, Ferndale Laboratories Inc, Foamix, Galderma, Genentech Inc, GlaxoSmithKline, Glenmark, Incyte, Intendis, Innocutis, Isdin, Johnson & Johnson, Nano Bio, Novartis, OrthoNeutrogena, Promius, Quinnova, SkinMedica Inc, Stiefel Laboratories Inc, Sun Pharma, Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl, and Warner-Chilcott; he has received grants from Abbvie, Ablynx, Acambis, Almirall, Amgen, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Anaptys, Arcutis, Arena, Astellas Pharma US Inc, Asubio, Bausch Health, Berlex Laboratories (Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals), Biolife, Biopelle, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer-Ingleheim, Breckinridge Pharma, Centocor Inc, Cellceutix, Coherus, Combinatrix, Connetics Corporation, Coria, Dermavant, Dermira, Dow Pharmaceutical Sciences Inc, Dr. Reddy’s Lab, Dusa, Eli Lilly, Exeltis, Ferndale Laboratories Inc, Foamix, Galderma, Genentech Inc, GlaxoSmithKline, Glenmark, Health Point LTD, Idera, Incyte, Intendis, Johnson & Johnson, Leo, L’Oreal, 3M, Maruho, Merck, Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp, Nano Bio, Novartis AG, Noven Pharmaceuticals, Nucryst Pharmaceuticals Corp, Obagi, Onset, OrthoNeutrogena, Pfizer, Promius, PharmaDerm, QLT Inc, Quatrix, Regeneron, SkinMedica Inc, Stiefel Laboratories Inc, Sun Pharma, TolerRx, UCB, Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl, Warner-Chilcott, and XenoPort; he reports serving as a paid consultant for Abbvie, Allergan, Almirall, Amgen, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Acrutis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cassiopea, Cipher, Colbar, Connetics Corporation, Dermavant, Dermira, Dr. Reddy's Lab, Eli Lilly, Exeltis, Ferrer, Galderma, Genentech Inc, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Intendis, Isdin, Johnson & Johnson, Laboratory Skin Care Inc, Leo, Medical International Technologies, Merck, Merz, Novartis AG, OrthoNeutrogena, Promius, PuraCap, SkinMedica Inc, Stiefel Laboratories Inc, Sun Pharma, Taro, UCB, Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl, and ZAGE.