Sanofi, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and the National Skin Centre Singapore (NSC) established a Memorandum of Understanding to advance research in acne treatment. Facilitated by the Biomedical Sciences Industry Partnership Office, a national platform hosted by A*STAR, this partnership draws on the expertise of Sanofi alongside clinical and research institutions from Singapore. Together, they combine advanced scientific knowledge and state-of-the-art biomedical and clinical infrastructure to drive advancements in acne treatment. This collaboration will encompass a phase 1 clinical study in patients with mild acne, anticipated to start in Q2 2025, and a translational study to build a deeper understanding of the key biological markers that impact the severity of the condition.

Acne is a widespread, chronic inflammatory skin condition that impacts quality of life, self-esteem and mental health of both teens and adults¹. While nearly 80% of teens experienced acne,² treatments have seen little advancement in the past 30 years.³ Adult acne is also becoming more common, affecting an estimated 40% of the population.^4,5

This collaboration has the potential to reshape the acne treatment landscape, offering innovative solutions that could transform the quality of life of people living with acne.

¹ Morshed, A.S.M., Noor, T., Uddin Ahmed, M.A. et al. Understanding the impact of acne vulgaris and associated psychological distress on self-esteem and quality of life via regression modeling with CADI, DLQI, and WHOQoL. Sci Rep 13, 21084 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-48182-6 

² Szepietowska M, Bień B, Krajewski PK, Stefaniak AA, Matusiak Ł. Prevalence, Intensity and Psychosocial Burden of Acne Itch: Two Different Cohorts Study. J Clin Med. 2023 Jun 12;12(12):3997. doi: 10.3390/jcm12123997. PMID: 37373690; PMCID: PMC10299123.

³ Layton AM, Thiboutot D, Tan J. Reviewing the global burden of acne: how could we improve care to reduce the burden? Br J Dermatol. 2021 Feb;184(2):219-225. doi: 10.1111/bjd.19477. Epub 2020 Sep 24. PMID: 32770673.

⁴ Dreno B. Recent data on epidemiology of acne. Ann. Dermatol. Venereol. 2010;137((Suppl. 2)):S49–S51. doi: 10.1016/S0151-9638(10)70045-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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