WAdapalene is a third-generation topical retinoid primarily used in the treatment of mild-moderate acne, and is also used off-label to treat keratosis pilaris as well as other skin conditions. It is effective against acne conditions where comedones are predominant.
WAntiandrogens, also known as androgen antagonists or testosterone blockers, are a class of drugs that prevent androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) from mediating their biological effects in the body. They act by blocking the androgen receptor (AR) and/or inhibiting or suppressing androgen production. They can be thought of as the functional opposites of AR agonists, for instance androgens and anabolic steroids (AAS) like testosterone, DHT, and nandrolone and selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) like enobosarm. Antiandrogens are one of three types of sex hormone antagonists, the others being antiestrogens and antiprogestogens.
WAzelaic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOOC(CH2)7COOH. This saturated dicarboxylic acid exists as a white powder. It is found in wheat, rye, and barley. It is a precursor to diverse industrial products including polymers and plasticizers, as well as being a component of a number of hair and skin conditioners.
WBenzoyl peroxide is a chemical compound (specifically, an organic peroxide) with structural formula (C6H5−C(=O)O−)2, often abbreviated as (BzO)2. In terms of its structure, the molecule can be described as two benzoyl (65H5−C(=O)−, Bz) groups connected by a peroxide (−O−O−). It is a white granular solid with a faint odour of benzaldehyde, poorly soluble in water but soluble in acetone, ethanol, and many other organic solvents. Benzoyl peroxide is an oxidizer, which is principally used as in the production of polymers.
WBicalutamide, sold under the brand name Casodex among others, is an antiandrogen medication that is primarily used to treat prostate cancer. It is typically used together with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue or surgical removal of the testicles to treat advanced prostate cancer. Bicalutamide may also be used to treat excessive hair growth in women, as a component of feminizing hormone therapy for transgender women, to treat early puberty in boys, and to prevent overly long-lasting erections in men. It is taken by mouth.
WCioteronel is a nonsteroidal antiandrogen (NSAA) that was never marketed. It was under development between 1989 and 2001 for the topical treatment of androgenetic alopecia and acne and for the oral treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia; it reached phase III clinical trials for acne and phase II studies for androgenetic alopecia, but was ultimately discontinued due to poor efficacy.
WClindamycin is an antibiotic used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections, including bone or joint infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, strep throat, pneumonia, middle ear infections, and endocarditis. It can also be used to treat acne, and some cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In combination with quinine, it can be used for malaria. It is available by mouth, by injection into a vein, and as a cream to be applied to the skin or in the vagina.
WCyproterone acetate (CPA), sold alone under the brand name Androcur or with ethinylestradiol under the brand names Diane or Diane-35 among others, is an antiandrogen and progestin medication which is used in the treatment of androgen-dependent conditions like acne, excessive hair growth, early puberty, and prostate cancer, as a component of feminizing hormone therapy for transgender women, and in birth control pills. It is formulated and used both alone and in combination with an estrogen and is available for use both by mouth and by injection into muscle. CPA is taken by mouth one to three times per day or given by injection once or twice per week.
WDapsone, also known as diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS), is an antibiotic commonly used in combination with rifampicin and clofazimine for the treatment of leprosy. It is a second-line medication for the treatment and prevention of pneumocystis pneumonia and for the prevention of toxoplasmosis in those who have poor immune function. Additionally, it has been used for acne, dermatitis herpetiformis, and various other skin conditions. Dapsone is available both topically and by mouth.
WDelanterone (INN), also known as 1α-methylandrosta-4,16-dien-3-one, is a steroidal antiandrogen described as an anti-acne agent which was never marketed. The compound showed poor efficacy as an antiandrogen in vivo in animals, suggestive of low activity or a short terminal half-life, and likely in relation to this was not further developed. It was described and characterized in the literature in 1977.
WDoxycycline is a broad-spectrum tetracycline-class antibiotic used in the treatment of infections caused by bacteria and certain parasites. It is used to treat bacterial pneumonia, acne, chlamydia infections, Lyme disease, cholera, typhus, and syphilis. It is also used to prevent malaria and in combination with quinine, to treat malaria. Doxycycline may be taken by mouth or by injection into a vein.
WEpiestriol (INN), or epioestriol (BAN), also known as 16β-epiestriol or simply 16-epiestriol as well as 16β-hydroxy-17β-estradiol, is a minor and weak endogenous estrogen, and the 16β-epimer of estriol. Epiestriol is used clinically in the treatment of acne. In addition to its estrogenic actions, epiestriol has been found to possess significant anti-inflammatory properties without glycogenic activity or immunosuppressive effects, an interesting finding that is in contrast to conventional anti-inflammatory steroids like hydrocortisone.
WFlutamide, sold under the brand name Eulexin among others, is a nonsteroidal antiandrogen (NSAA) which is used primarily to treat prostate cancer. It is also used in the treatment of androgen-dependent conditions like acne, excessive hair growth, and high androgen levels in women. It is taken by mouth, usually three times per day.
WInocoterone is a steroid-like nonsteroidal antiandrogen (NSAA) that was never marketed. An acetate ester, inocoterone acetate, shows greater antiandrogen activity and was developed as a topical medication for the treatment of acne but showed only modest effectiveness in clinical trials and similarly was never marketed.
WInocoterone acetate (USAN) is a steroid-like nonsteroidal antiandrogen (NSAA) that was developed for topical administration to treat acne but was never marketed. It is the acetate ester of inocoterone, which is less potent in comparison. Inocoterone acetate is actually not a silent antagonist of the androgen receptor but rather a weak partial agonist, similarly to steroidal antiandrogens like cyproterone acetate.
WIsotretinoin, also known as 13-cis-retinoic acid and sold under the brand name Accutane among others, is a medication primarily used to treat severe acne. It is also used to prevent certain skin cancers, and in the treatment of other cancers. It is used to treat harlequin-type ichthyosis, a usually lethal skin disease, and lamellar ichthyosis. It is a retinoid, meaning it is related to vitamin A, and is found in small quantities naturally in the body. Its isomer, tretinoin, is also an acne drug.
WMesulfen (2,7-dimethylthianthrene) is an anti-acne preparation as well as a scabicide. It is a dimethyl derivative of thianthrene.
WMetogest, also known as 16,16-dimethyl-19-nortestosterone, is a steroidal antiandrogen that was patented in 1975 and investigated as a treatment for acne but was never marketed.
WMinocycline, sold under the brand name Minocin among others, is a tetracycline antibiotic used to treat a number of bacterial infections such as pneumonia. It is generally less preferred than the tetracycline doxycycline. It is also used for the treatment of acne and rheumatoid arthritis. It is taken by mouth or applied to the skin.
WMK-434 is a 5α-reductase inhibitor which was under development in the 1990s by Merck & Co for the treatment of a variety of androgen-dependent conditions including benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer, pattern hair loss, excessive hair growth, acne, and seborrhea but was never marketed. It acts as a selective inhibitor of 5α-reductase type 2. The drug has been found to decrease circulating dihydrotestosterone levels by a maximum of approximately 50% in men. MK-434 is a synthetic 4-azasteroid and is structurally related to other 5α-reductase inhibitors like finasteride.
WA nonsteroidal antiandrogen (NSAA) is an antiandrogen with a nonsteroidal chemical structure. They are typically selective and full or silent antagonists of the androgen receptor (AR) and act by directly blocking the effects of androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). NSAAs are used in the treatment of androgen-dependent conditions in men and women. They are the converse of steroidal antiandrogens (SAAs), which are antiandrogens that are steroids and are structurally related to testosterone.
WRosterolone (INN), also known as 17α-propylmesterolone or 1α-methyl-17α-propyl-5α-androstan-17β-ol-3-one, is a steroidal antiandrogen which was first described in 1984 and was developed for topical administration but was never marketed. It has shown some efficacy in the treatment of acne, and lacks systemic effects with either topical or systemic administration. Rosterolone is a derivative of mesterolone, which, in contrast, is an androgen and anabolic steroid.
WRU-58841, also known as PSK-3841 or HMR-3841, is a nonsteroidal antiandrogen (NSAA) which was initially developed in the 1980s. It was formerly under investigation by ProStrakan for potential use as a topical treatment for androgen-dependent conditions including acne, pattern hair loss, and excessive hair growth. The compound is similar in structure to the NSAA RU-58642 but contains a different side-chain. These compounds are similar in chemical structure to nilutamide, which is related to flutamide, bicalutamide, and enzalutamide, all of which are NSAAs similarly. RU-58841 can be synthesized either by building the hydantoin moiety or by aryl coupling to 5,5-dimethylhydantoin.
WSalicylic acid is a lipophilic monohydroxybenzoic acid, a type of phenolic acid, and a beta hydroxy acid (BHA). This colorless crystalline organic acid is widely used in organic synthesis and functions as a plant hormone. It is derived from the metabolism of salicin.
WSpironolactone, sold under the brand name Aldactone among others, is a medication that is primarily used to treat fluid build-up due to heart failure, liver scarring, or kidney disease. It is also used in the treatment of high blood pressure, low blood potassium that does not improve with supplementation, early puberty in boys, acne and excessive hair growth in women, and as a part of transgender hormone therapy in transgender women. Spironolactone is taken by mouth.
WA steroidal antiandrogen (SAA) is an antiandrogen with a steroidal chemical structure. They are typically antagonists of the androgen receptor (AR) and act both by blocking the effects of androgens like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and by suppressing gonadal androgen production. SAAs lower concentrations of testosterone through simulation of the negative feedback inhibition of the hypothalamus. SAAs are used in the treatment of androgen-dependent conditions in men and women, and are also used in veterinary medicine for the same purpose. They are the converse of nonsteroidal antiandrogens (NSAAs), which are antiandrogens that are not steroids and are structurally unrelated to testosterone.
WSulfacetamide is a sulfonamide antibiotic.
WSulfur (in British English: sulphur) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow, crystalline solid at room temperature.
WSulfur is used in pharmaceutical skin preparations for the treatment of acne and other conditions. it acts as a keratolytic agent and also kills bacteria, fungi, scabies mites and other parasites.
WTalarozole was an investigational drug for the treatment of acne, psoriasis and other keratinization disorders. Development has been discontinued.
WTazarotene is a third-generation prescription topical retinoid sold as a cream, gel, or foam. Tazarotene is a member of the acetylenic class of retinoids. This medication is approved for treatment of psoriasis, acne, and sun damaged skin (photodamage). It is commonly sold in two concentrations: 0.05% and 0.1%.
WTetracycline, sold under the brand name Sumycin among others, is an antibiotic used to treat a number of infections. This includes acne, cholera, brucellosis, plague, malaria, and syphilis. It is taken by mouth.
WTioxolone is an anti-acne preparation.
WTopterone, also known as 17α-propyltestosterone or as 17α-propylandrost-4-en-17β-ol-3-one, is a steroidal antiandrogen that was first reported in 1978 and was developed for topical administration but, due to poor effectiveness, was never marketed.
WTretinoin, also known as all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), is medication used for the treatment of acne and acute promyelocytic leukemia. For acne, it is applied to the skin as a cream, gel or ointment. For leukemia, it is taken by mouth for up to three months.
WZinc pyrithione is a coordination complex of zinc. It has fungistatic and bacteriostatic properties and is used in the treatment of seborrhoeic dermatitis.