A SOUTHAMPTON university has received £1.7 million to launch a new trial into helping women who suffer from acne.

Doctors at the University of Southampton are looking to recruit women in Hampshire to take part in the study, which will investigate whether this treatment can improve their acne.

The study is being funded by the National Institute for Health Research and is being led by doctor Miriam Santer and doctor Alison Layton.

A number of adults live with acne and are often treated with antibiotics, however rising rates of antibiotic resistance means different treatments are needed.

Acne is caused when the skin produces more grease than normal and some dermatologists think spironolactone can help treat the skin condition.

The medication that will be used in the trial is thought to lower hormones that trigger grease production, but there is no evidence yet that it works.

Doctor Santer, co-chief investigator at the University of Southampton, said: “Some dermatologists use spironolactone to treat acne, especially in the United States. But, there have hardly been any trials conducted around this, and the biggest trial to date only involved 50 participants. So there is very little evidence.”

Women aged 18 and over will be involved in the study and participants will be take either spironolactone tablets, or a matching placebo, for six months.

The study will recruit from up to five hospitals, including Poole Hospital and St Mary’s General Hospital, Portsmouth, and general practices near the hospitals will be asked to contact patients they think might want to take part.

If the trial is successful, it will be the basis for national and international guidelines and the results could encourage using this medication instead of antibiotics to treat acne in women.

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