Years of Discovery for Acne Therapies
The provided evidence does not contain specific years of discovery for most of these acne medications, as the guidelines and drug labels focus on clinical use rather than historical development. However, based on the available evidence and general medical knowledge, here is what can be determined:
Tetracycline Antibiotics
- Doxycycline: Discovered in the early 1960s (approved by FDA in 1967)
- Minocycline: Discovered in the late 1960s (approved by FDA in 1971)
- Sarecycline: This is a modern narrow-spectrum tetracycline derivative specifically developed for acne, approved by FDA in 2018 1, 2
Oral Isotretinoin
Isotretinoin has been used in the United States for the treatment of acne for 30 years (as of the 2016 guideline publication), placing its introduction around 1982-1986 3. The drug was actually FDA-approved in 1982 under the brand name Accutane.
Hormonal Therapies
Combined Oral Contraceptives (Estrogen-Progestin Pills): The first oral contraceptive was approved by FDA in 1960, though their use for acne came later with formal FDA approval for acne indication occurring in the 1990s-2000s for specific formulations 3
Spironolactone: Originally developed as a potassium-sparing diuretic in the 1950s (FDA approved 1960), but has been used off-label in the treatment of acne for over 30 years (as of 2019), suggesting acne use began around the late 1980s 4
Dapsone
Sixty years ago (from 2021), Ross discussed the use of oral dapsone in the treatment of acne vulgaris, placing this around 1961 5. Topical dapsone 5% gel for acne is a more recent formulation approved by FDA in 2005 3.
Important Caveats
The evidence provided focuses primarily on clinical guidelines and FDA labeling rather than drug discovery timelines. The dates above represent either FDA approval dates or documented clinical use rather than initial chemical discovery, which often preceded clinical application by several years.