Going for the Gold: Sebacia Microparticles Help Direct Lasers to the Source of Acne

Two new studies suggest that Sebacia Microparticles may be an important part of acne polytherapy.

Sebacia microparticles may be acne’s latest and greatest nemesis.

New research presented the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) 2019 Annual Meeting in Chicago shows that the technology helps to safely and effectively clear acne when used with or following pre-treatment with common first-line topical acne medications.

The microparticles feature a silica core covered in gold. When broken down into really small pieces, these microparticles can penetrate the skin and reach the sebaceous glands. Gold is a light-absorbing material, it draws in the laser’s energy delivers it directly to the sebaceous gland.

In the ongoing European Union real-world registry, patients were prescribed a 2-4-week course of topical retinoid followed by three weekly in-office treatments of Sebacia Microparticles at commercial centers. The study is being conducted at nine non-academic clinical practices in Europe and to date has enrolled 76 patients. Latest clinical results out to two years demonstrated:

• 92 percent average acne inflammatory lesion count (ILC) improvement at 24 months compared to baseline.
• 77 percent of patients were acne medication-free at 24 months.
• 9 percent of patients received a topical acne drug and only 14 percent received a systemic acne drug during the follow-up period.
• There were no serious or unanticipated adverse events.

"These 24-month results from the EU registry study provide us the first perspective of the long-term safety and durability of Sebacia Microparticles in acne patients,” says Jill S. Waibel, MD, a dermatologist practicing at the Miami Dermatology and Laser Institute, in a news release. “Sebacia Microparticles represents an option for dermatologists that is complementary to our polytherapy approach to acne while allowing us to target the sebaceous glands with a selective and local treatment."

US Study: Microparticles plus topical retinoids

The ongoing U.S. registry study was designed to evaluate acne outcomes in patients treated with Sebacia Microparticles in combination with the ongoing use of topical retinoids. Patients in the U.S. study were able to continue topical therapy after their third Sebacia treatment at the discretion of the investigator. The study is being conducted at six non-academic clinical practices in the U.S. and to date, 72 patients have completed the 3-month follow-up.  

The latest clinical results out to 3 months include:

• 65 percent average acne ILC improvement at 3 months from baseline. These findings are better than historically-reported ILC reduction at 3-months of about 40-50 percent without topical pre-treatment.
• 90 percent of the subjects were responders, defined as a reduction of ILC of 40 percent or better.
• Transient erythema (redness of the skin typical with laser use) was reported and patients were able to return to school or work immediately after the procedure. There were no serious or unanticipated adverse events.

"I am pleased to see these 3-month results from the U.S. registry tracking similarly to the European registry study that was conducted previously,” adds Ashish Bhatia, MD, a dermatologist practicing at Oak Dermatology in the greater Chicago area and Clinical Associate Professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. “The real-world results provide clinicians with additional data about treating acne patients with Sebacia Microparticles who are already using topical retinoids, a common first-line therapy."