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Review
. 2025 Aug;42(8):3606-3620.
doi: 10.1007/s12325-025-03256-x. Epub 2025 Jun 4.

Metformin: Old Drug, New Therapeutic Potential in the Skin? A Brief Narrative Review

Dimitrios Pantazopoulos  1 , Stella Papachristou  1   2 , Evanthia Gouveri  1 , Massimo Papi  3 , Dimitrios Papazoglou  1 , Nikolaos Papanas  4
Affiliations
Review

Metformin: Old Drug, New Therapeutic Potential in the Skin? A Brief Narrative Review

Dimitrios Pantazopoulos et al. Adv Ther. 2025 Aug.

Abstract

Metformin, a well-established, first-line therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus, is still gaining interest for its potential applications beyond glycaemic control. In addition to its insulin-sensitising effects, metformin exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-proliferative, and immunomodulatory properties, rendering it a promising candidate for various dermatological conditions. Emerging evidence suggests that metformin may play a beneficial role in inflammatory skin diseases, such as acne, hidradenitis suppurativa, acanthosis nigricans, rosacea and psoriasis. Furthermore, recent studies highlight its potential in promoting wound healing and modulating skin ageing. This narrative review summarises current knowledge of the mechanisms of action of metformin in dermatology and explores its potential as a novel therapeutic approach for skin disorders.

Keywords: Inflammatory skin diseases; Metformin; Skin; T2DM; Wound healing.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of Interest: Dimitrios Pantazopoulos, Stella Papachristou and Massimo Papi have no conflicts of interest. Evanthia Gouveri has attended conferences sponsored by Berlin-Chemie, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim; received speaker honoraria by Boehringer Ingelheim and Menarini. Dimitrios Papazoglou declares associations with Menarini, Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim and Sanofi-Aventis. Nikolaos Papanas has been an advisory board member of AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Menarini, MSD, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Takeda and TrigoCare International; has participated in sponsored studies by AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, GSK, MSD, Novo Nordisk, Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis; has received honoraria as a speaker for AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Elpen, Menarini, MSD, Mylan, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis and Vianex; and has attended conferences sponsored by TrigoCare International, Bayer, Eli Lilly, Galenica, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer and Sanofi-Aventis. Ethical Approval: This review is based on previously conducted studies and meta-analyses and does not contain any new studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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