CAB Gel Reduces Lesions and Preserves Skin Tone in Skin of Color
Key Takeaways
CAB gel significantly reduced acne lesions in Black patients compared to vehicle after 12 weeks.
Quality of life improved significantly across emotional and self-perception domains.
Hyperpigmentation remained stable or improved, with minimal treatment-related irritation.
A post hoc analysis of pooled Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trial data suggests that clindamycin phosphate 1.2%/adapalene 0.15%/benzoyl peroxide 3.1% (CAB) gel is effective and well tolerated for the treatment of moderate to severe acne in Black patients.
While CAB gel has already demonstrated efficacy across broader populations in earlier trials, this analysis specifically evaluated outcomes in 156 participants who self-identified as Black or African American, drawn from four randomized, double-blind, 12-week studies. CAB is the only FDA-approved fixed-dose, triple-combination topical treatment for acne, designed to address multiple pathogenic factors: microbial proliferation, inflammation, and abnormal keratinization.
At Week 12, 32.0% of Black participants receiving CAB achieved treatment success (defined as at least a two-grade reduction in Evaluator’s Global Severity Score and a clear or almost clear rating) compared with 18.3% using vehicle (P=0.07). CAB was also associated with statistically significant reductions in both inflammatory and noninflammatory lesion counts versus vehicle (-68.8% vs. -51.4% and -57.8% vs. -45.5%, respectively; P<0.05 for both).
Quality-of-life scores, measured by the Acne-Specific Quality of Life (Acne-QoL) questionnaire, improved for CAB-treated patients. The most significant improvements were seen in self-perception and emotional role domains, areas of particular relevance given the psychosocial burden of acne.
Safety assessments showed CAB was generally well tolerated. The most common adverse events—application site pain, exfoliation, and pruritus—were mild to moderate in severity.
While the analysis was limited by its post hoc design, small sample size, and use of self-reported race rather than objective skin phototype classification, the authors said the data still could contribute important insight to the limited body of evidence on acne treatment outcomes in patients with skin of color.
"Fixed-dose, triple-combination CAB gel was well tolerated in Black participants with moderate to severe acne and led to substantial acne reductions [...]," the authors wrote. "The favorable efficacy and safety profile of CAB demonstrates its potential as an effective treatment option for moderate to severe acne in Black individuals."
Source: Callender Valerie D, et al. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2025;18(4):10–16.