Modified‐Release Subantimicrobial Dose Doxycycline Enhances Scaling and Root Planing in Subjects With Periodontal Disease

Background: Previous studies showed that adjunctive subantimicrobial dose doxycycline (SDD; 20 mg, twice daily) provides significant clinical benefits to scaling and root planing (SRP). A modified‐release SDD formulation containing 40 mg doxycycline (SDD‐40) to be taken once daily has been developed. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of SDD‐40 when used as an adjunct to SRP for the treatment of periodontitis. Methods: A 9‐month, double‐masked, randomized, placebo‐controlled, multicenter study was conducted to test the efficacy of adjunctive SDD‐40 in 266 subjects with periodontitis. Subjects were treated by SRP and randomized to receive SDD‐40 or placebo for 9 months with evaluations at 3, 6, and 9 months. Results: Adjunctive SDD‐40 provided significantly greater clinical benefits than placebo at all time points. At month 9, at sites with baseline probing depths (PD) ≥6 mm, 72% to 76% of sites in the SDD‐40 group demonstrated clinically significant PD reductions and clinical attachment level (CAL) gains ≥2 mm compared to 56% to 58% of sites in the placebo group (P