Otezla (apremilast)

Otezla treats psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis by regulating inflammation within the cell.

What is Otezla?

Otezla is the brand name for the oral systemic treatment apremilast. Different oral systemic treatments work in different ways to reduce symptoms of psoriatic disease. Newer oral systemic treatments, such as Otezla, work similarly to biologics by targeting specific parts of the immune system to reduce symptoms and inflammation.

How Does Otezla Work?

Otezla inhibits an enzyme known as phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4). This enzyme controls much of the inflammatory action within cells, which can affect the level of inflammation associated with psoriatic disease.

How Is It Used?

Otezla is available as a 30 mg tablet. The first five days is a start period, during which the dosage will gradually increase until the recommended dose of 30 mg (twice daily) is reached. Otezla is meant to be taken continuously to maintain improvement.

What Are the Risks?

In clinical trials, there were reported cases of:

Gastrointestinal problems, including severe diarrhea, nausea and vomiting
Depression
Weight decrease

Common Side Effects

In clinical trials, the most common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, tension headache, headache and upper respiratory infection.

Using Otezla With Other Treatments

Otezla can be used with other treatments such as phototherapy or topicals. It has been shown to be safe and effective when taken with methotrexate. Talk to your health care provider about whether using any other treatments with Otezla is right for you.