Tretinoin (Microsphere) by is a Prescription medication manufactured, distributed, or labeled by Mayne Pharma, Encube Ethicals Private Limited. Drug facts, warnings, and ingredients follow.
Tretinoin gel (microsphere) is a retinoid, indicated for topical treatment of acne vulgaris. (1)
Gel, 0.08% (3)
Most common adverse reactions are skin pain, pruritus, skin irritation/subcutaneous irritation, pharyngitis, and erythema. (6.1)
To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Encube Ethicals Private Limited at 1-833-285-4151 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch
Tretinoin gel (microsphere) should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant and nursing women. (8.1)
See 17 for PATIENT COUNSELING INFORMATION and FDA-approved patient labeling.
Revised: 8/2024
For topical use only. Not for ophthalmic, oral, or intravaginal use.
Tretinoin gel (microsphere) should be applied once a day, in the evening, to the skin where acne lesions appear, using enough to cover the entire affected area in a thin layer. Areas to be treated should be cleansed thoroughly before the medication is applied. If medication is applied excessively, no more rapid or better results will be obtained and marked redness, peeling, or discomfort may occur. A transitory feeling of warmth or slight stinging may be noted on application. In cases where it has been necessary to temporarily discontinue therapy or to reduce the frequency of application, therapy may be resumed or the frequency of application increased as the patient becomes able to tolerate the treatment. Frequency of application should be closely monitored by careful observation of the clinical therapeutic response and skin tolerance. Efficacy has not been established for less than once daily dosing frequencies.
During the early weeks of therapy, an apparent exacerbation of inflammatory lesions may occur. If tolerated, this should not be considered a reason to discontinue therapy [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)].
Therapeutic results may be noticed after two weeks, but more than seven weeks of therapy are required before consistent beneficial effects are observed.
Tretinoin gel (microsphere) should be kept away from the eyes, the mouth, paranasal creases of the nose, and mucous membranes.
Patients treated with tretinoin gel (microsphere) may use cosmetics.
Concomitant topical medication, medicated or abrasive soaps and cleansers, products that have a strong drying effect, products with high concentrations of alcohol, astringents, or spices should be used with caution because of possible interaction with tretinoin. Avoid contact with the peel of limes. Particular caution should be exercised with the concomitant use of topical over-the-counter acne preparations containing benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, resorcinol, or salicylic acid with tretinoin gel (microsphere). It also is advisable to allow the effects of such preparations to subside before use of tretinoin gel (microsphere) is begun.
The skin of certain individuals may become excessively dry, red, swollen, or blistered.
Tretinoin has been reported to cause severe irritation on eczematous skin and should be used with utmost caution in patients with this condition.
If the degree of irritation warrants, patients should be directed to temporarily reduce the amount or frequency of application of the medication, discontinue use temporarily, or discontinue use all together. Efficacy at reduced frequencies of application has not been established. If a reaction suggesting sensitivity occurs, use of the medication should be discontinued.
To help limit skin irritation, patients must
Patients should apply a topical moisturizer if dryness is bothersome.
Unprotected exposure to sunlight, including sunlamps (UV light) should be avoided or minimized during the use of tretinoin gel (microsphere) and patients with sunburn should be advised not to use the product until fully recovered because of heightened susceptibility to sunlight as a result of the use of tretinoin. Patients who may be required to have extended periods of UV exposure (e.g., due to occupation or sports), or those with inherent sensitivity to the sun, or those using medications that cause photosensitivity, should exercise particular caution. Use of sunscreen products (SPF 15 or higher) and protective clothing over treated areas are recommended when exposure cannot be avoided [see Nonclinical Toxicology (13.1)].
Weather extremes, such as wind or cold, also may be irritating to tretinoin-treated skin.
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
Clinical Trials in Subjects with Acne
In separate clinical trials for each concentration, acne subjects treated with tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1% or 0.04%, over the twelve- week period showed that cutaneous irritation scores for erythema, peeling, dryness, burning/stinging, or itching peaked during the initial two weeks of therapy, decreasing thereafter.
Approximately half of the subjects treated with tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.04%, had cutaneous irritation at Week 2. Of those subjects who did experience cutaneous side effects, most had signs or symptoms that were mild in severity (severity was ranked on a 4-point ordinal scale: 0=none, 1=mild, 2=moderate, and 3=severe). Less than 10% of patients experienced moderate cutaneous irritation and there was no severe irritation at Week 2.
In trials of tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.04%, throughout the treatment period the majority of subjects experienced some degree of irritation (mild, moderate, or severe) with 1% (2/225) of subjects having scores indicative of a severe irritation; 1.3% (3/225) of subjects treated with tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.04%, discontinued treatment due to irritation, which included dryness in one patient and peeling and urticaria in another.
In trials of tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, no more than 3% of subjects had cutaneous irritation scores indicative of severe irritation; 6% (14/224) of subjects treated with tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, discontinued treatment due to irritation. Of these 14 subjects, four had severe irritation after 3 to 5 days of treatment, with blistering in one subject.
In a double-blind trial with 156 acne subjects comparing 12 weeks of treatment with tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.04% or 0.1%, (78 subjects each group), the most frequently-reported adverse events affected the skin and subcutaneous tissue (15.4% in the 0.04% group, and 20.5% in the 0.1% group). The most prevalent of the dermatologic adverse events in the 0.04% group was skin irritation (6.4%); and in the 0.1% group skin burning (7.7%), erythema (5.1%), skin irritation (3.8%), and dermatitis (3.8%). Most adverse events were of mild intensity (63.4%), and 34.4% were moderate. One subject in each group had adverse events characterized as severe, neither were dermatologic findings and neither was characterized as related to drug by the investigator.
Trials in Subjects without Acne
In a half-face comparison trial conducted for up to 14 days in women with sensitive skin, but without acne, tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, was statistically less irritating than tretinoin cream, 0.1%. In addition, a cumulative 21- day irritation evaluation in subjects with normal skin showed that tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, had a lower irritation profile than tretinoin cream, 0.1%. The clinical significance of these irritation studies for patients with acne is not established. Comparable effectiveness of tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, and tretinoin cream, 0.1%, has not been established. The lower irritancy of tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, in subjects without acne may be attributable to the properties of its vehicle. The contribution of decreased irritancy by the acrylate copolymer microsphere system has not been established. No irritation trials have been performed to compare tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.04%, with either tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, or tretinoin cream, 0.1%.
The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of tretinoin gel (microsphere). Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.
Temporary hyper- or hypopigmentation has been reported with repeated application of tretinoin.
Pregnancy Category C
There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Tretinoin gel (microsphere) should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
Thirty human cases of temporally associated congenital malformations have been reported during two decades of clinical use of tretinoin products. Although no definite pattern of teratogenicity and no causal association has been established from these cases, five of the reports describe the rare birth defect category holoprosencephaly (defects associated with incomplete midline development of the forebrain). The significance of these spontaneous reports in terms of risk to the fetus is not known.
For purposes of comparison of the animal exposure to systemic human exposure, the MRHD applied topically is defined as 1 gram of tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, applied daily to a 60 kg person (0.017 mg tretinoin/kg body weight).
Pregnant rats were treated with tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, at daily dermal doses of 0.5 to 1.0 mg/kg/day tretinoin on gestation days 6-15. Alterations were seen in vertebrae and ribs of offspring at 5 to 10 times the MRHD based on the body surface area (BSA) comparison.
Pregnant New Zealand White rabbits were treated with tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, at daily dermal doses of 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg/day tretinoin on gestation days 7-19. Doses were administered topically for 24 hours a day while wearing Elizabethan collars to prevent ingestion of the drug. Increased incidences of certain alterations, including domed head and hydrocephaly, typical of retinoid-induced fetal malformations in this species, were observed at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg/day. Similar malformations were not observed at 0.2 mg/kg/day, 4 times the MRHD based on BSA comparison. Other pregnant rabbits exposed topically for six hours per day to 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg/day tretinoin while restrained in stocks to prevent ingestion, did not show any malformations at doses up to 19 times (1.0 mg/kg/day) the MRHD based on BSA comparison, but fetal resorptions were increased at 0.5 mg/kg (10 times the MRHD based on BSA comparison).
Oral tretinoin has been shown to cause malformations in rats, mice, rabbits, hamsters, and nonhuman primates.
Tretinoin induced fetal malformations in Wistar rats when given orally at doses greater than 1 mg/kg/day (10 times the MRHD based on BSA comparison). In the cynomolgus monkey, fetal malformations were reported for doses of 10 mg/kg/day but none were observed at 5 mg/kg/day (95 times the MRHD based on BSA comparison), although increased skeletal variations were observed at all doses. Dose-related increases in embryolethality and abortion also were reported. Similar results have also been reported in pigtail macaques.
In oral peri- and postnatal development studies in rats with tretinoin, decreased survival of neonates and growth retardation were observed at doses in excess of 2 mg/kg/day (19 times the MRHD based on BSA comparison).
It is not known whether tretinoin and/or its metabolites are excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when tretinoin gel (microsphere) is administered to a nursing woman.
Tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.08%, is a white to very pale yellow opaque gel for topical treatment of acne vulgaris.
Chemically, tretinoin is all-trans-retinoic acid, also known as (all-E)-3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-2,4,6,8-nonatetraenoic acid. It is a member of the retinoid class of compounds and a metabolite of naturally occurring Vitamin A. Tretinoin has a molecular weight of 300.44, a molecular formula of C20H28O2 and the following chemical structure:
Each gram of tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.08%, contains 0.8 mg of tretinoin.
The formulation uses acrylate copolymer microsphere system to enable inclusion of the active ingredient, tretinoin, in an aqueous gel. Other components consist of benzyl alcohol, butylated hydroxytoluene, carbomer 974P, cyclomethicone and dimethicone copolyol, disodium EDTA, glycerin, PPG-20 methyl glucose ether distearate, propylene glycol, propylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, purified water, sorbic acid, and trolamine.
Although tretinoin activates three members of the retinoic acid (RAR) nuclear receptors (RARα, RARβ, and RARγ) which may act to modify gene expression, subsequent protein synthesis, and epithelial cell growth and differentiation, it has not been established whether the clinical effects of tretinoin are mediated through activation of retinoic acid receptors and/or other mechanisms.
The exact mode of action of tretinoin is unknown. Current evidence suggests that topical tretinoin decreases cohesiveness of follicular epithelial cells with decreased microcomedone formation. Additionally, tretinoin stimulates mitotic activity and increased turnover of follicular epithelial cells causing extrusion of the comedones.
Tretinoin is a metabolite of Vitamin A metabolism in man. Percutaneous absorption, as determined by the cumulative excretion of radiolabeled drug into urine and feces, was assessed in 44 healthy men and women after single and repeated daily applications of 500 mg of a 0.1% tretinoin gel formulation. Estimates of in vivo bioavailability, mean (SD) %, following both single and multiple daily applications, for a period of 28 days with the 0.1% gel, were 0.82 (0.11)% and 1.41 (0.54)%, respectively. The plasma concentrations of tretinoin and its metabolites, 13-cis-retinoic acid, all-trans-4-oxo-retinoic acid, and 13-cis-4-oxo-retinoic acid, generally ranged from 1 to 3 ng/mL and were essentially unaltered after either single or multiple daily applications of tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, relative to baseline levels. Clinical pharmacokinetic studies have not been performed with tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.08%, 0.06% and 0.04%.
Dermal carcinogenicity testing has not been performed with tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, 0.08%, 0.06% or 0.04%.
In a 91-week dermal study in which CD-1 mice were administered 0.017% and 0.035% formulations of tretinoin, cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas and papillomas in the treatment area were observed in some female mice. These concentrations are near the tretinoin concentration of the 0.04% and 0.1% clinical formulations. A dose-related incidence of liver tumors in male mice was observed at those same doses. The maximum systemic doses associated with the administered 0.017% and 0.035% formulations are 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg/day tretinoin, respectively. These doses are two and four times the MRHD based on BSA comparison.
The biological significance of these findings is not clear because they occurred at doses that exceeded the dermal maximally tolerated dose of tretinoin and because they were within the background natural occurrence rate for these tumors in this strain of mice.
There was no evidence of carcinogenic potential when 0.025 mg/kg/day of tretinoin was administered topically to mice (0.1 times the MRHD based on BSA comparison). Studies in hairless albino mice suggest that concurrent exposure to tretinoin may enhance the tumorigenic potential of carcinogenic doses of UVB and UVA light from a solar simulator. This effect has been confirmed in a later study in pigmented mice, and dark pigmentation did not overcome the enhancement of photocarcinogenesis by 0.05% tretinoin. Although the significance of these studies to humans is not clear, patients should minimize exposure to sunlight or artificial ultraviolet irradiation sources [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)].
The genotoxic potential of tretinoin was evaluated in the Ames assay and in the in vivo mouse micronucleus assay, both of which were negative.
The components of the microspheres have shown potential for genetic toxicity and fetal malformation. EGDMA, a component of the excipient acrylates copolymer, was positive for induction of structural chromosomal aberrations in the in vitro chromosomal aberration assay in mammalian cells in the absence of metabolic activation, and negative for genetic toxicity in the Ames assay, and the in vivo mouse micronucleus assay.
In oral fertility studies in rats with tretinoin, the no-observable effect level was 2 mg/kg/day (19 times the MRHD based on BSA comparison).
In two vehicle-controlled trials, tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, applied once daily was significantly more effective than vehicle in reducing the acne lesion counts. The mean reductions in lesion counts from baseline after treatment for 12 weeks are shown in the following table:
Tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1% | Vehicle Gel | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Study #1 72 pts | Study #2 71 pts | Study #1 72 pts | Study #2 67 pts |
|
Non-inflammatory lesion counts | 49% | 32% | 22% | 3% |
Inflammatory lesion counts | 37% | 29% | 18% | 24% |
Total lesion counts | 45% | 32% | 23% | 16% |
Tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, was also significantly superior to the vehicle in the investigator's global evaluation of the clinical response. In Study #1, thirty-five percent (35%) of subjects using tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, achieved an excellent result, as compared to eleven percent (11%) of subjects on the vehicle control. In Study #2, twenty-eight percent (28%) of patients using tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.1%, achieved an excellent result, as compared to nine percent (9%) of the subjects on the vehicle control.
In two vehicle-controlled clinical trials, tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.04%, applied once daily, was more effective (p<0.05) than vehicle in reducing the acne lesion counts. The mean reductions in lesion counts from baseline after treatment for 12 weeks are shown in the following table:
Tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.04% | Vehicle Gel | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Study #3 108 pts | Study #4 111 pts | Study #3 110 pts | Study #4 103 pts |
|
|
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Non-inflammatory lesion counts | 37% | 29% | −2%* | 14% |
Inflammatory lesion counts | 44% | 41% | 13% | 30% |
Total lesion counts | 40% | 35% | 8% | 20% |
Tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.04%, was also superior (p<0.05) to the vehicle in the investigator's global evaluation of the clinical response. In Study #3, fourteen percent (14%) of subjects using tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.04%, achieved an excellent result compared to five percent (5%) of subjects on vehicle control. In Study #4, nineteen percent (19%) of subjects using tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.04%, achieved an excellent result compared to nine percent (9%) of subjects on vehicle control.
Tretinoin gel (microsphere) is opaque and white to very pale yellow in color.
Tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.08%, is supplied in 50 gram pump (NDC: 68308-777-50).
Advise the patient to read the FDA-approved patient labeling (Patient Information).
The patient should be instructed to:
Cleanse the treatment area thoroughly, before treatment, with a mild, non-medicated cleanser. Do not use more than the recommended amount and do not apply tretinoin gel (microsphere) more than once daily as this will not produce faster or better results, but may increase irritation.
Minimize exposure to sunlight, including sunlamps. Recommend the use of sunscreen products and protective apparel (e.g., hat) when exposure cannot be avoided.
Made in Italy, formulated in India.
Important information: Tretinoin gel (microsphere) is for use on skin only. Do not get tretinoin gel (microsphere) in your eyes, mouth, vagina or the corners of your nose.
What is Tretinoin gel (microsphere)?
Tretinoin gel (microsphere) is a prescription medicine used on the skin (topical) to treat acne. Acne is a condition in which the skin has blackheads, whiteheads, and other pimples.
It is not known if tretinoin gel (microsphere) is safe and effective in the treatment of other conditions.
It is not known if tretinoin gel (microsphere) is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age.
What should I tell my doctor before using tretinoin gel (microsphere)?
Before using tretinoin gel (microsphere), tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
Tell your doctor about all of the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbal supplements, and any skin products that you use.
Especially tell your doctor if you use any other medicines to treat your acne, including medicated cleansers or soaps. Using other topical acne products may increase the irritation of your skin when used with tretinoin gel (microsphere).
Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
How should I use tretinoin gel (microsphere)?
Applying tretinoin gel (microsphere):
Pump: Fully depress the pump twice to dispense tretinoin gel (microsphere) onto a fingertip. Apply a thin layer to cover the affected area, as prescribed by your doctor. Spread tretinoin gel (microsphere) evenly over the affected area.
What should I avoid while using tretinoin gel (microsphere)?
What are the possible side effects of tretinoin gel (microsphere)?
Tretinoin gel (microsphere) may cause serious side effects, including:
Skin irritation. Tretinoin gel (microsphere) may cause skin dryness, redness, swelling, and blistering. If you develop these symptoms, your doctor may tell you to stop using tretinoin gel (microsphere) for a while, change your dose, decrease the number of times you apply tretinoin gel (microsphere), or completely stop treatment with tretinoin gel (microsphere). It is not known if tretinoin gel (microsphere) is effective when used less than 1 time a day.
The most common side effects of tretinoin gel (microsphere) include skin burning and itching.
Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
These are not all the possible side effects of tretinoin gel (microsphere). For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
How should I store tretinoin gel (microsphere)?
Keep tretinoin gel (microsphere) and all medicines out of the reach of children.
General information about the safe and effective use of tretinoin gel (microsphere).
Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. Do not use tretinoin gel (microsphere) for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give tretinoin gel (microsphere) to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. It may harm them.
If you would like more information, talk with your doctor. You can ask your pharmacist or doctor for information about tretinoin gel (microsphere) that is written for health professionals.
For more information, call 1-833-285-4151.
What are the ingredients of tretinoin gel (microsphere)?
Active ingredient: tretinoin
Inactive ingredients: benzyl alcohol, butylated hydroxytoluene, carbomer 974P, cyclomethicone and dimethicone copolyol, disodium EDTA, glycerin, PPG-20 methyl glucose ether distearate, propylene glycol, propylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, purified water, sorbic acid and trolamine
This Patient Information has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Made in Italy, formulated in India.
Manufactured by:
Encube Ethicals Pvt. Ltd.
Plot No. C-1, Madkaim Industrial Estate,
Madkaim, Post: Mardol, Ponda,
Goa - 403 404, India.
Distributed by:
Mayne Pharma
Raleigh, NC 27609
Revised - 08/2024
NDC: 68308-777-50
Tretinoin Gel
(Microsphere)
0.08%
PUMP
For Topical Use Only
Rx Only
Net wt. 50 g
mayne pharma
TRETINOIN (MICROSPHERE)
tretinoin gel |
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Labeler - Mayne Pharma (867220261) |
Establishment | |||
Name | Address | ID/FEI | Business Operations |
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Encube Ethicals Private Limited | 725076298 | ANALYSIS(68308-777) , MANUFACTURE(68308-777) , PACK(68308-777) , LABEL(68308-777) |