Sanofi Pasteur has partnered with the University of California School of Medicine in San Diego (UC San Diego) to research and develop an investigational vaccine to control acne. Sanofi Pasteur is the vaccines division of the pharmaceutical giant Sanofi.

“This opportunity could provide an immunotherapeutic product with significant benefits and a novel mechanism of action to address an unmet medical need,” said Sanofi Research & Development chief Elias Zerhouni. “This investigational vaccine and treatment may lead to a better solution for the many who suffer from this skin disease.”

The pre-clinical form of the acne vaccine was developed by UC San Diego researchers. It takes an immunological approach to acne treatment by targeting and neutralizing a type of bacteria called propionibacterium, or bacterium P. acnes. Propionibacterium are a slow-growing bacteria normally found on the skin and in the intestinal tract.

Bacterium P. acnes are usually considered harmless, but have been implicated in acne and other inflammatory skin conditions. They live on the fatty acids found in sebum, an oily, waxy substance secreted by the sebaceous glands (microscopic glands in the skin, usually attached to hair follicles). When a gland becomes blocked, the bacteria overgrow and form an inflamed acne lesion.

Propionibacterium can be killed by benzyl peroxide, some anti-bacterial preparations, and oral and topical antibiotics. The problem is that current acne treatments indiscriminately kill many bacterial species, disrupting the normal balance of the skin microscopic organisms. Also, there is growing concern that long-term use of antibiotics to treat acne can lead to resistant strains of the bacteria.

Acne is an extremely common skin disease, afflicting 80 to 90 percent of adolescents. The disease sometimes continues past the teenage years, with eight percent of 25 to 34-year olds and three percent of 35 to 44-year-olds continuing to suffer from the disease.

The group most likely to experience and seek treatment for acne is five to 17-year olds. Moderate to severe acne can result in psychological, physical and social issues including low self esteem, social isolation, depression, and even suicide.

The best acne medication on the market today for persistent moderate to severe acne is prescription isotretinoin, best know by the brand name Accutane. Isotretinoin is a potent medication which should only be taken under a doctor’s supervision. It is a retinoid (derived from vitamin A) that works by dramatically reducing the size of the skin’s oil-producing glands, greatly reducing oil production. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.

The acne “market” is an estimated 50 million Americans, and the world market for acne medication is over $3 billion annually. Under the new agreement, UC San Diego will continue its research and development for two years, and Sanofi Pasteur will hold the exclusive worldwide license to the future acne vaccine and treatment.

A world leader in the vaccine industry, Sanofi Pasteur offers a broad range of vaccines, protecting over 500 million people across the globe against 20 infectious diseases.

The online Canadian pharmacy BigMountainDrugs.com is committed to providing safe, reliable and inexpensive medications to its customers. Big Mountain Drugs offers savings on a number of popular acne medications, including Accutane, generic isotretinoin and Retin A. You must have a valid doctor’s prescription and a completed iPLEDGE Program form to buy Accutane from Canada.

The doctor who chairs the department of dermatology at New York’s SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Dr. Alan R. Shalita, presented some thought provoking new information on diet and acne at the American Academy of Dermatology 2011 summer meeting.

Shalita says, “Theoretically, people with acne may have hyperinsulinemia [high blood levels of insulin], and foods that are low in the glycemic index may contribute to the hormonal control of acne.” The glycemic index is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. (more…)

WebMD has put together a slideshow it calls an Acne Visual Dictionary illustrating different types of acne, from run of the mill whiteheads and blackheads through papules and pustules to cysts and nodules. The slideshow also discusses the causes of acne, and various acne treatment options. Acne treatments range from over the counter acne medications for mild acne to topical retinoids that should only be used under a dermatologist’s supervision, such as prescription isotretine (brand name Accutane). In some cases, a doctor might inject corticosteroids directly into cysts or nodules to reduce their inflammation and size.

Did you know that acne conglobata is one of the most serious forms of acne, and that it is sometimes caused by taking steroids or testosterone? Did you know that athletes often experience “sports induced acne”? Do you know what non-comedogenic makeup is? To learn more about acne and acne treatment, view the slideshow at WebMD.

Dark spots on the skin due to any reason can look unsightly and creates a complex in a person, unless the condition is the reversed with effective medications such as Eldopaque Cream. The application can be used to remove dark spots occurring due to hyperpigmentation in conditions such as acne, melasma, ageing, pregnancy, side effects of birth control pills, menopausal treatments, and freckles.

Acne can leave scars that can make a person look quite ugly. It usually creates blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, and eventually leaves black spots that can be removed only with the help of an effective cream. Melasma is a skin disorder that causes discoloration of the skin when exposed to sunlight. Pregnant women, those on birth control pills and menopausal treatments stand the risk of getting Melasma.

Spots on the skin appear as dark patches causing discoloration in contrast to the surrounding skin. Melanin is a pigment in the skin that gives it color. Wherever the skin is affected, dark skin deposits are formed. Eldopaque Cream 4% contains hydroquinone that reduces the formation of melanin thereby reducing the discoloration effect.
(more…)

Living with acne can be a very difficult and embarrassing thing. There are many online drug stores that offer you simple treatments to help reduce scarring and the symptoms of acne. Thousands of people in Canada and around the world suffer from acne every year, but the good news is that there are online Canadian pharmacies who can offer you medication to improve your condition.

Acne is extremely common, with 20% of all adults in America suffering from this skin complaint. The good news is that you can obtain drugs to help combat the problem via Canadian mail order, and from Canadian pharmacies and drug stores. (more…)

It’s no coincidence that one of the late Michael Jackson’s close friends was his long-time dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein. “Boy, I used to suffer,” Jackson once confessed to an interviewer, talking about his acne. “It got bad. It got real bad.” Jackson remembered regularly hiding in his bedroom to cry after being teased by a cousin about his “pimples”. Despite his success, Jackson found it difficult to face the public much of his life, often wearing hats and keeping his head down. “You can clear up physically,” he explained, but still mentally you’re scarred.” After Jackson’s death, Dr. Klein told interviewer Larry King that he had been helping the star “rebuild his face” to hide the severe acne scarring and plastic surgery scars in preparation for his upcoming This Is It tour.

Most of us suffer the occasional break out or blemish, even as adults.  The average acne can be treated with over-the-counter medications, but acne like Jackson’s calls for prescription acne medication.  The best acne medication on the market today for moderate to severe acne that has not responded to other treatment is Accutane. (more…)

Just about everybody experiences acne during their life, but few people know why their skin breaks out, or how best to treat it. Try this quick quiz to see how much you understand about the causes of acne.  You may learn something that surprises you!

True or False?

1) Pimples are caused by an infected hair follicle.    TRUE  or  FALSE

2) Pimples are caused by an oily substance called sebum.    TRUE  or  FALSE

3) Acne only occurs on the face, neck, back, and chest.    TRUE  or  FALSE
(more…)