Sarecycline

Sarecycline is a semi-synthetic derivative of tetracycline that was initially discovered by Paratek Pharmaceuticals from Boston, MA but then licensed to Warner Chilcott of Rockaway, NJ in July of 2007 . After completing various phase-II and phase-III trials demonstrating its effectiveness in treating moderate to severe facial acne vulgaris the US Food and Drug Administration approved Barcelona based Almirall, S.A.'s Seysara (sarecylcine) as a new first in class narrow spectrum tetracycline derived oral antibiotic for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate to severe acne vulgaris in patients nine years of age and older . Seysara (sarecycline) was originally part of Allergan's US Medical Dermatology portfolio, before Almirall acquired the portfolio in the second half of 2018 as a means of consolidating and reinforcing the dermatology-focused pharmaceutical company's presence in the United States . Acne vulgaris itself is a common chronic skin condition associated with the blockage and/or inflammation of hair follicles and their accompanying sebaceous glands . The acne often presents physically as a mixture of non-inflammatory and inflammatory lesions mainly on the face but on the back and chest as well . Based upon data from Global Burden of Disease studies, the acne vulgaris condition affects up to 85% of young adults aged 12 to 25 years globally - with the possibility of permanent physical and mental scarring resulting from cases of severe acne . Subsequently, while a number of first line tetracycline therapies like doxycycline and minocycline do exist for treating acne vulgaris, sarecycline presents a new and innovative therapy choice because it exhibits the necessary antibacterial activity against relevant pathogens that cause acne vulgaris but also possesses a low propensity for resistance development in such pathogens and a narrower, more specific spectrum of antibacterial activity, resulting in fewer off-target antibacterial effects on endogenous intestinal flora and consequently fewer resultant adverse effects associated with diarrhea, fungal overgrowth, etc.