24 September 2019 - Deborah Wilkes
The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has given the go-ahead for two medicines containing benzoyl peroxide – Galderma's Acnecide Face Gel and Acnecide Face Wash – to be switched from pharmacy (P) to general-sale list (GSL) status.
The regulatory agency said making these medicines more widely available would allow people to treat mild acne affecting the face more easily.
The MHRA started consulting on the proposed switch in May 2019 (click here to read the News story).
The GSL versions will have more limited conditions of use than the current P medicines called Acnecide Gel and Acnecide Wash. Galderma intends to keep the P medicines which can be used for more severe acne on any part of the body.
Benzoyl peroxide in the UK
Benzoyl peroxide has been prescribed for topical treatment of acne since the 1960s. Products containing the active ingredient are available in 70 countries worldwide.
In the UK, Acnecide Gel was approved as a P medicine in 1992, and Acnecide Wash Gel was approved as a P medicine in 2002.
Acnecide Face Gel and Acnecide Face Wash will be the first products containing benzoyl peroxide to be available as GSL medicines in the UK.
Existing GSL medicines for topical treatment of spots or acne contain active ingredients such as nicotinamide, chlorhexidine gluconate and zinc oxide. In addition, traditional herbal products containing tea tree oil are available.
Galderma is part of Nestlé's Skin Health business. Nestlé recently announced that it had entered into exclusive negotiations on the sale of its Skin Health business for CHF10.2 billion (USD10.1 billion) to a consortium led by private-equity firm EQT and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) (click here to read the News story).