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Drug

Isotretinoin

Approved · FDA
ClassRetinoic acid receptor agonistEmerging researchLate-stage developmentRising momentum
Also known as 13 cis retinoic acid, 13-RA, 13-cRA, 13-cis retinoic acid+16 more

13 cis retinoic acid, 13-RA, 13-cRA, 13-cis retinoic acid, 13-cis-Retinoic acid, 13-cis-Vitamin A acid, Absorica, Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, Myorisan, Neovitamin A acid, Sotret, Zenatane, cis-RA, Isotretinoino, Isotretinoína, Isotrétinoine, (7E,9E,11E,13Z)-retinoic acid, Isotretinoinum.

6
Research papers
16
Active clinical trials
3
Protein targets
46
Regulatory events
Latest activity
beta

Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this drug.

Effects of Isotretinoin on Nasal Mucociliary Clearance and Olfactory Function

Clinical trial2026-07-15Primary completion · ClinicalTrials.gov

Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris.

Research2024-01-30Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

Effect of isotretinoin on CYP2D6 and CYP3A activity in patients with severe acne.

Research2023-11-21British journal of clinical pharmacology

Anti-GD2 antibody with GM-CSF, interleukin-2, and isotretinoin for neuroblastoma.

Research2010-09-01Yu AL · The New England journal of medicine

Profile

Identifiers & mechanism

Canonical identifiers, marketed brand names and mechanism, resolved across RxNorm, ChEMBL and ATC.

Canonical name
Isotretinoin
Aliases & brands
13 cis retinoic acid13-RA13-cRA13-cis retinoic acid13-cis-Retinoic acid13-cis-Vitamin A acidAbsoricaAccutaneAmnesteemClaravisMyorisanNeovitamin A acidSotretZenatanecis-RAIsotretinoinoIsotretinoínaIsotrétinoine(7E,9E,11E,13Z)-retinoic acidIsotretinoinum
RxNorm CUI
6064
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL547
ATC codes
D10BA01D10AD54D10AD04
UNII
EH28UP18IF
Primary mechanism
Retinoic acid receptor agonist
Regulatory jurisdictions
mhrafda

Pharmacology & targets

3 targets

Known molecular targets and mechanisms supported by curated pharmacology databases.

AGONISTRetinoic acid receptor agonist
AGONISTRetinoic acid receptor agonist
AGONISTRetinoic acid receptor agonist

Regulatory timeline

46 events

The complete regulatory record, grouped by authority — approvals, safety advisories and label changes. Each authority shows its most recent events; expand one to read its full history.

Earliest approval
2012-05-25
Latest approval
2026-02-09
Authorities
FDA · MHRA
Total events
46
fdaU.S. Food and Drug Administration· 39 events
2026-06-16Label change
Label change: ISOTRETINOIN (ANDA213571)
Evidence ↗
2026-06-12Label change
Label change: ISOTRETINOIN (NDA211913)
Evidence ↗
2026-06-12Label change
Label change: ISOTRETINOIN (NDA021951)
Evidence ↗
mhraMedicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency· 7 events
2023-10-31Safety communicationSafety
Drug Safety Update: Isotretinoin (Roaccutane▼): introduction of new safety measures, including additional oversight of the initiation of treatment for patients under 18 years of age
Evidence ↗
2023-04-26Safety communicationSafety
Drug Safety Update: Isotretinoin (Roaccutane▼): new safety measures to be introduced in the coming months, including additional oversight on initiation of treatment for patients under 18 years
Evidence ↗
2020-11-16Safety communicationSafety
Drug Safety Update: Isotretinoin (Roaccutane▼): contribute to expert review
Evidence ↗

Data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), public domain (CC0).

Contains public sector information from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) licensed under the Open Government Licence (OGL v3).

Clinical trials

129 trials

The current development programme across all trial phases — status mix, phase distribution and the late-stage studies shaping the evidence base.

Development programme
CLINICALTRIALS.GOV · LIVE REGISTRY
129
registered trials across all phases
LATEST COMPLETION 2026
16
Active studies
14
Recruiting
56
Late-stage (III+)
82
Completed
31
Discontinued
PHASE DISTRIBUTIONn = 129
Early Phase 13Phase 125Phase 1 / 29Phase 236Phase 325Phase 415Phase N / A16

Late-stage studies

Phase III+ trials still open or recently active — where late-stage evidence is being generated.

Recent completions

Trials that read out recently, adding to the completed evidence base.

Research activity

6 papers

Key research shaping understanding of this drug, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.

Publications over time
19992024
Most influential
Recent papers
Major research themes8
Acne Vulgaris2Isotretinoin2Anti-Bacterial Agents1Benzoyl Peroxide1Bone Marrow Transplantation1Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D61Dermatologic Agents1Dicarboxylic Acids1
Journals, researchers & institutions
Top journals
  • The New England journal of medicine2
  • British journal of clinical pharmacology1
  • JAMA dermatology1
  • Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology1
  • The Journal of investigative dermatology1
Leading researchers
  • Matthay KK2
  • Reynolds CP2
  • Shimada H2
  • Villablanca JG2
  • Anderson B1
  • Barbieri JS1
  • Black CT1
  • Brodeur GM1
Leading institutions
free-text, unnormalised
  • American Academy of Dermatology1
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center1
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital1
  • Emory University School of Medicine1
  • Massachusetts General Hospital1
  • Mayo Clinic1

Related diseases

1 conditions

Regulator-approved indications and conditions co-mentioned with this drug across the research literature. Number shows shared papers.

Active research areas

Related drugs

8 matches

Drugs sharing diseases, protein targets and literature with this one. Ranked by graph evidence (shared targets + diseases weighted above co-mentions).

Studied across the same disease area as Isotretinoin in the shared literature.

1 shared disease1 shared paper

Studied across the same disease area as Isotretinoin in the shared literature.

1 shared disease1 shared paper

Studied across the same disease area as Isotretinoin in the shared literature.

1 shared disease1 shared paper

Studied across the same disease area as Isotretinoin in the shared literature.

1 shared disease1 shared paper

Studied across the same disease area as Isotretinoin in the shared literature.

1 shared disease1 shared paper

Studied across the same disease area as Isotretinoin in the shared literature.

1 shared disease1 shared paper

Studied across the same disease area as Isotretinoin in the shared literature.

1 shared disease1 shared paper

Studied across the same disease area as Isotretinoin in the shared literature.

1 shared disease1 shared paper
References & data sources
  • RxNorm (U.S. National Library of Medicine) — drug identity
  • ChEMBL (EMBL-EBI) & UniProt — pharmacology and targets
  • Europe PMC — research literature
  • ClinicalTrials.gov — clinical trials
  • Regulatory event sources are credited in the Regulatory Timeline above.