Otezla for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis
Otezla ( also known as Apremilast ) is an oral medication approved in 2014 by the FDA ( Food and Drug Administration ) in the United States for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis in adults.
In September 2014, it was approved for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
Otezla treats psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis by regulating inflammation within immune cells. It inhibits an enzyme known as phosphodiesterase 4, or PDE4.
PDE4 controls much of the inflammatory action within the cell, which can affect the level of inflammation associated with psoriatic disease. By controlling the inflammation in this way, Otezla improves joint tenderness and swelling in people with psoriatic arthritis, and redness and scaliness of plaque psoriasis.
Otezla is prescribed for adults with active psoriatic arthritis. It is also prescribed for people with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
The safety and effectiveness of Otezla in people under 18 years of age has not been established. Additionally, the dose of Otezla should be modified or reduced in people with severe renal impairment. Nursing women should use caution when taking Otezla. People with a known severe allergic reaction to this treatment or its components should not take Otezla.
Otezla is available as a 30 mg tablet. The first five days is a start period, where the dosage will gradually increase over five days until the recommended dose of 30 mg twice daily is reached.
Otezla is designed to be taken continuously to maintain improvement.
Otezla can be used with other treatments. In clinical trials, no significant impacts were observed when 30 mg of Otezla was taken with either oral birth control, Ketoconazole ( antifungal medication ), or Methotrexate.
Taking a CYP450 inducer treatment ( such as Rifampin, a medication used to treat tuberculosis ) at the same time as Otezla may reduce efficacy.
Psoriasis disease severity is determined by assessing the degree of redness, shedding, plaque thickness and affected body surface area, degree of itching, and the impact of psoriasis on quality of life.
In clinical trials, about 31% of the individuals taking Otezla experienced a 75% improvement in the severity of their psoriasis after four months. ( Xagena )
Source: National Psoriasis Foundation, 2014
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