Background. Combination therapy with a topi-

cal retinoid and an antibiotic is recognized as a rational and effective approach for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Adapalene, a naphthoic acid deriva-tive with anti-inflammatory and receptor-selective retinoid properties, is safe and well tolerated. While the combination of adapalene with oral or topical antibiotics has been shown to deliver a superior and faster response than an antibiotic alone, the clinical benefits of a combination of adapalene and doxycy-cline, the most frequently prescribed oral antibiotic for acne in the United States, have yet to be evaluated. Objective and Methods. In a 12-week study, the efficacy and safety of the combination of adapalene gel 0.1 % with doxycycline was com-pared with doxycycline alone for the treatment o