Azelaic Acid

Category: topical

Aliases: Azelex, Finacea, Skinoren

Pharmacological Mechanism

Saturated C9 dicarboxylic acid. Multiple mechanisms: normalises follicular keratinisation, antimicrobial against Cutibacterium acnes + Demodex, mild tyrosinase inhibition (hyperpigmentation), anti-inflammatory via KLK5 + PAR-2 pathway (rosacea).

Target Organ Systems

• integumentary
• immune-hematologic

Pathways It Modulates

• Epidermal keratinization + melanogenesis (inhibitor) — tyrosinase + acne (broad)

Chemical Identifiers

• PubChem CID: 2266
• Formula: C9H16O4
• Molecular weight: 188.22 g/mol
• InChIKey: BDJRBEYXGGNYIS-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• SMILES: C(CCCC(=O)O)CCCC(=O)O