November 17, 2003

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Data published today in the Archives of Dermatology showed that a new formulation of azelaic acid gel demonstrated significant superiority over the widely used metronidazole 0.75% gel formulation, in improving the reddish facial bumps and visible blood vessels of rosacea.

Dr. Boni Elewski, professor of dermatology at UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) and lead author, conducted a randomized, head-to-head study of the two products that involved 251 patients at UAB and 12 other centers. Elewski is president-elect of the American Academy of Dermatology.

"This study establishes azelaic acid 15 percent gel (FINACEA®) to be a promising new safe and tolerable therapy option for patients with moderate rosacea, as it demonstrated consistently and significantly superior efficacy over 0.75 percent metronidazole gel in reducing the number of inflammatory bumps, pimples and redness experienced by patients," Elewski said. "Notably, patients treated with azelaic acid gel experienced progressive improvement through week 15, unlike the metronidazole-treated patient group."

In addition, Elewski said, azelaic acid gel also scored higher on the patients' overall assessment of efficacy. No serious or systemic treatment-related side effects were reported in either of the two groups.

FINACEA received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in December 2002 for the treatment of the papules and pustules of mild to moderate rosacea.

EDITOR'S NOTE: UAB is the University of Alabama at Birmingham, an urban university and health system that is one of the nation's top 20 recipients of NIH funding. Because we are separate from and independent of the University of Alabama (located in Tuscaloosa), please refer to us by our full name or acronym.