Efficacy, Tolerability, and Safety of Montelukast Versus Finasteride for the Treatment of Moderate Acne in Women: A Prospective, Randomized, Single-Blinded, Active-Controlled Trial

This study compared montelukast and finasteride for treating moderate acne in 70 women over 12 weeks. Finasteride showed a greater reduction in acne severity index (from 35.71 to 16.43) compared to montelukast (from 33.93 to 20.6). By the end of the study, 88.6% of patients in the finasteride group and 79.6% in the montelukast group had near-total clarity of acne. Patient satisfaction was higher in the finasteride group (80%) compared to the montelukast group (66.7%), and physician satisfaction also favored finasteride (79.9% vs. 63.3%). Both drugs were well-tolerated with minor side effects. The study concluded that finasteride was more effective and satisfactory for treating moderate acne in women.