Brand name · Adapalene
Differin: adverse event reports filed with FDA
4,892 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Retinoid. Also reported as Differin Gel.
- 4,892
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 219 a year
- 70
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 150 in the 12 months before
- 3%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 49.6% across the class
- 0%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 0 reports · not verified by FDA
4,892 adverse event reports received by FDA list the brand name Differin (adapalene) as a suspect or interacting product, from March 2004 to June 2026. A further 549 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 70 reports listed it, down 53% from 150 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 219 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 7.4% of the reports for the retinoid class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
Reporters most often recorded dry skin (28.3%), acne (20.9%) and drug ineffective (20.8%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 206 different terms appear across these reports. Dry skin is recorded in 28.3% of these reports, a larger share than in the median retinoid drug (3.9%).
3% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (49.6% across the class); 0% record death among the outcomes and 0.5% record hospitalisation, as reported. 96.7% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 18 to 44 (9.2%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Differin reports recording the termmedian drug in retinoid
- Dry skindry skin28.3%1,385
- Acneacne20.9%1,023
- Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected20.8%1,016
- Skin burning sensationburning skin16.3%795
- Skin exfoliationpeeling skin14.7%720
- Erythemaskin redness14.4%703
- Skin irritationirritated skin10%487
- Pain of skin8.3%405
- Product use in unapproved indicationused for a purpose not on the label6.9%339
- Pruritusitching6.7%329
- Inappropriate schedule of product administrationthe product was taken at the wrong times6.2%304
- Rashskin rash5.4%263
- Underdoseless than the intended dose5.1%248
- Condition aggravatedthe condition being treated got worse3.6%178
- Intentional product misusedeliberate use not as intended2.8%137
- Sensitive skin2.5%121
- Chemical burn of skin2.1%101
- Scara scar1.9%95
- Intentional product use issuedeliberate use not as intended1.9%92
- Rash macular1.8%89
- Hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction1.8%86
- Acne cystic1.7%84
- Skin hyperpigmentation1.6%80
- Seborrhoea1.6%76
- Rash papular1.5%73
- Skin tightness1.2%61
Top 30 of 206 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 11 drugs in the retinoid class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 65,827 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 97.9% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Acne | 2,393 | 48.9% |
| Acne cystic | 102 | 2.1% |
| Skin wrinkling | 90 | 1.8% |
| Skin hyperpigmentation | 39 | 0.8% |
| Scar | 27 | 0.6% |
| Milia | 14 | 0.3% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 4,892 reports.
Drugs most often listed in the same reports
| Drug (any role in the report) | Reports | Share of Differin reports |
|---|---|---|
| Levothyroxine | 9 | 0.2% |
| Tretinoin | 9 | 0.2% |
| Clindamycin | 7 | 0.1% |
| Synthroid | 7 | 0.1% |
| Vitamin d | 7 | 0.1% |
| Doxycycline | 6 | 0.1% |
| Famotidine | 6 | 0.1% |
| Losartan | 6 | 0.1% |
| Gabapentin | 5 | 0.1% |
| Hydrochlorothiazide | 5 | 0.1% |
Other products listed in reports where Differin is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.
In context
| Measure | Differin | Retinoid | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 4,892 | 65,827 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 7.4% | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 70 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 3% | 49.6% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 0 | 25 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 5 | 86 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 96.7% | 34.4% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Dry skin 28.3% | median 3.9% | 0.6% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the retinoid class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isotretinoin | generic | 14,852 | 2,177 | 53.4% |
| Accutane | brand | 12,317 | 406 | 77% |
| Zenatane | brand | 7,239 | 783 | 25.6% |
| Claravis | brand | 7,019 | 217 | 66.4% |
| Amnesteem | brand | 6,035 | 49 | 45.4% |
| Adapalene | generic | 4,720 | 2,964 | 1.7% |
| Tretinoin | generic | 3,415 | 365 | 72.4% |
| Absorica | brand | 2,518 | 18 | 37.8% |
| Acitretin | generic | 2,211 | 107 | 83.9% |
| Targretin | brand | 609 | 10 | 79.3% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about Differin reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Differin?
4,892 reports list Differin as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 70 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 549 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Differin reports?
dry skin (28.3%), acne (20.9%), drug ineffective (20.8%), skin burning sensation (16.3%) and skin exfoliation (14.7%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Differin was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
3% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 0% of reports include death and 0.5% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
consumer or non-health professional (96.7%), other health professional (1.6%) and physician (0.8%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Differin rising?
70 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 53% from 150 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Differin was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Differin?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Differin as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (549) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.