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|Articles|October 27, 2021
Daily Medication Pearl: Apremilast (Otezla)
Author(s)Saro Arakelians, PharmD
Apremilast is indicated for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, plaque psoriasis, and oral ulcers associated with Behçet disease.
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Medication Pearl of the Day: Apremilast (Otezla)
Indication: Apremilast, an inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis; adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy; and adult patients with oral ulcers associated with Behçet’s disease.
Insight:
- Dosing: To reduce the risk of gastrointestinal symptoms, titrate to recommended dose of 30 mg twice daily from 10 mg, once a day, to twice a day, then 20 mg, then 30 mg within 6 days.
- Dosage form: Tablets 10 mg, 20 mg, and 30 mg.
- Adverse events (AEs): The most common AEs (≥ 5%) are diarrhea, nausea, headache, and upper respiratory tract infection.
- Mechanism of action:Apremilast is an oral small-molecule inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) specific for cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). PDE4 inhibition results in increased intracellular cAMP levels.
- Manufacturer: Amgen
Sources:
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