General Information
Otezla (apremilast) is an oral small-molecule inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) specific for cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP).
Otezla is specifically indicated for the treatment of adult patients with oral ulcers associated with Behçet’s Disease.
Otezla is supplied as a tablet for oral administration. To reduce risk of gastrointestinal symptoms, titrate to recommended dose of 30 mg twice daily according to the following schedule:
Day 1: 10 mg in morning
Day 2: 10 mg in morning and 10 mg in evening
Day 3: 10 mg in morning and 20 mg in evening
Day 4: 20 mg in morning and 20 mg in evening
Day 5: 20 mg in morning and 30 mg in evening
Day 6 and thereafter: 30 mg twice daily
Clinical Results
FDA Approval
The FDA approval of Otezla for oral ulcers associated with Behçet’s Disease was based on the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase 3 RELIEF study evaluating Otezla in 207 adult patients with Behçet’s Disease with active oral ulcers who were previously treated with at least one nonbiologic medication and were candidates for systemic therapy. Results showed Otezla 30 mg BID resulted in a 42.7 point reduction from baseline in the pain of oral ulcers as measured by the visual analog scale (VAS) at week 12, compared with an 18.7 point reduction with placebo. The proportion of patients achieving an oral ulcer complete response (oral ulcer-free) at week 12 was 52.9% in the Otezla arm and 22.3% in the placebo arm. The proportion of patients achieving oral ulcer complete response by week 6 and who remained oral ulcer-free for at least six additional weeks during the 12-week treatment phase was 29.8% in the Otezla arm and 4.9% in the placebo arm. The daily average number of oral ulcers during the 12-week treatment phase was 1.5 in the Otezla arm and 2.6 in the placebo arm (based on oral ulcer counts measured at baseline and at weeks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12).
Side Effects
Adverse effects associated with the use of Otezla for oral ulcers associated with Behçet’s Disease may include, but are not limited to, the following:
diarrhea
nausea
headache
upper respiratory tract infection
Mechanism of Action
Otezla (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. The specific mechanism(s) by which apremilast exerts its therapeutic action is not well defined.
For more information – please visit Otezla website
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