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news.Diplomat has announced that it is one of a select group of specialty pharmacies contracted by Celgene to distribute Otezla (apremilast), a new medication for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis.
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Otezla is an oral small-molecule inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) specific for cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Otezla was approved by the FDA on 21 March 2014, and is available in 10mg, 20mg and 30mg tablets. Diplomat has access to dispense Otezla immediately.
In clinical trials, Otezla demonstrated the ability to reduce the signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. Otezla is the first oral therapy available for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, a form of arthritis primarily affecting individuals who have been diagnosed with psoriasis.
Per manufacturer’s instructions, patients taking Otezla should have their weight monitored regularly by a healthcare professional. If clinically significant or unexplained weight loss occurs while taking Otezla, the patient should be evaluated and discontinuation of therapy should be considered.
The most common side effects experienced by patients taking Otezla were diarrhea, nausea and headache. In clinical trials, patients taking Otezla® were also associated with more reports of depression compared to those patients on placebo.
Otezla is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to apremilast or to any of the excipients in the formulation. Otezla has not been studied in pregnant women. Otezla is manufactured for Celgene.