Den nøjagtige virkningsmekanisme af isotretinoin er endnu ikke fuldt klarlagt, men det er blevet påvist, at den observerede forbedring i det kliniske billede af svær akne er forbundet med hæmning af talgkirtelaktivitet og en histologisk påvist reduktion af størrelsen af talgkirtler.
The exact mechanism of action of isotretinoin has not yet been elucidated in detail, but it has been established that the improvement observed in the clinical picture of severe acne is associated with suppression of sebaceous gland activity and a histologically demonstrated reduction in the size of the sebaceous glands.