A microemulsion-based gel of isotretinoin and erythromycin estolate for the management of acne

Acne is a youth and many adults problem that hampers their social life and self-esteem. Numerous unknown underlying factors, including the Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) infection, lead to acne. The present study presents a novel platform of microemulsion-based topical hydrogen loaded with isotretinoin and erythromycin estolate to manage acne. The developed system was in the nanometric range (79.45 nm) with a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.192. The developed microemulsion and the hydrogel exhibited the desired Newtonian flow characteristics. The permeation of the drugs across the rodent skin was substantially higher than the marketed/conventional product. The developed system offered substantial skin retention to both drugs, the desired attribute for acne treatment. The in-vitro studies on C. acnes vouched for the enhanced efficacy of the developed system vis-à-vis the plain erythromycin estolate and clindamycin as the standard. The findings are promising as the topical use of erythromycin estolate with isotretinoin is established for the first time, along with the synergism. The simple, safer and effective nanoformulation inherits the potential to manage acne in a better way.