A vaccine for acne? 200 people in Singapore to test if it works

Some people in Singapore will be among the earliest in the world to find out the effectiveness of an acne vaccine that French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has developed.

- Salma Khalik

It is the first vaccine of its kind.

The company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Nov 22 with A*Star and the National Skin Centre (NSC) to conduct research as well as an early-stage clinical trial of the vaccine in patients with mild acne.

About 200 people with the condition will be recruited for the trial, which will start in 2025.

Another trial for the vaccine for people suffering from severe acne has started in the US.

The vaccine has been developed to reduce the severity of acne, a common skin condition that affects roughly eight in 10 teenagers, and possibly even cure patients.

Aside from the clinical trial with the skin centre, Sanofi will also be working with A*Star on research into skin problems.