Clinical data | |
---|---|
Pronunciation | /əˈprɛmɪlæst/ ə-PREM-i-last |
Trade names | Otezla, others |
Other names | CC-10004 |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
MedlinePlus | a614022 |
License data |
|
Pregnancy category |
|
Routes of administration | By mouth |
ATC code | |
Legal status | |
Legal status | |
Pharmacokinetic data | |
Bioavailability | 73%; [8] Tmax = ~2.5 hours |
Protein binding | c. 68% [8] |
Metabolism | Liver (CYP3A4, with minor contributions from CYP2A6, CYP1A2) [8] |
Metabolites | O-desmethylapremilast glucuronide (and others) [9] |
Elimination half-life | 6–9 hours [8] |
Excretion | Urine (58%), faeces (39%) [8] |
Identifiers | |
| |
CAS Number | |
PubChem CID | |
DrugBank | |
ChemSpider | |
UNII | |
KEGG | |
ChEBI | |
ChEMBL | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.234.786 |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C22H24N2O7S |
Molar mass | 460.50 g·mol−1 |
3D model (JSmol) | |
| |
|
Apremilast, sold under the brand name Otezla among others, is a medication for the treatment of certain types of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. [4] The drug acts as a selective inhibitor of the enzyme phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4). [4] It is taken by mouth. [4]
Apremilast is indicated in the United States for the treatment of adults with active psoriatic arthritis, people with plaque psoriasis who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy, and adults with oral ulcers associated with Behçet's disease. [4]
In the European Union, apremilast alone or in combination with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), is indicated for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adults who have had an inadequate response or who have been intolerant to a prior DMARD therapy. [6] It is also indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis in adults who failed to respond to, have a contraindication to, or are intolerant of other systemic therapies, including cyclosporine, methotrexate, or psoralen and ultraviolet-A light. [6]
In the European Union, the drug is contraindicated during pregnancy because mice and monkeys receiving very high doses of apremilast have been observed to suffer miscarriages and other pregnancy problems. [9] In the US, it may be used for pregnant women "if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus". [10]
Diarrhea occurs in about 25% of people taking apremilast. Severe gastrointestinal symptoms, when they occur, typically start within the first few weeks of treatment. [11] [12]
Worsening depression, suicidal thoughts, and other mood changes may occur with apremilast. [4]
Weight loss has been associated with apremilast. Reports from clinical studies indicated a 5 to 10% decrease in body weight in 10% of patients taking apremilast (compared to 3.3% of patients taking placebo). [4]
Common, usually mild to moderate adverse effects associated with apremilast include headache, back pain, nausea, diarrhoea, fatigue, nasopharyngitis, and upper respiratory tract infections. [13]
Concurrent use of strong cytochrome P450 enzyme inducers has been shown to decrease exposure of apremilast and can result in reduced or loss of efficacy of apremilast. Using it simultaneously with strong P450 enzyme inducers, including rifampicin, phenobarbital, carbamazepine, phenytoin, [4] and St. John's wort is not recommended. [14]
Apremilast is a small-molecule inhibitor of PDE4, [4] an enzyme that breaks down cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). [4] In inflammatory cells, PDE4 is the dominant enzyme responsible for this reaction. The resulting increase in cAMP levels down-regulates expression of a number of pro-inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin 17, interleukin 23, and many others, and up-regulates the anti-inflammatory interleukin 10. In ex vivo models of arthritis, IL-12/IL-23p40 was specifically identified as a downstream target of apremilast. [15] The importance of these individual factors for the clinical effect of apremilast is not clear. [9]
Apremilast is absorbed well from the gut (73%), independently of food intake, and reaches peak blood plasma concentrations after 2.5 hours. Plasma protein binding is 68%. It is metabolised in the liver, mainly via the enzyme CYP3A4, but to a minor extent via CYP1A2 and CYP2A6. The main metabolite is O-desmethylapremilast glucuronide. [8] [9]
Its half-life is 6–9 hours. The substance is eliminated through the kidney (58%) and feces (39%), mainly in form of its metabolites. Only 3% of the original substance is found in the urine, and 7% in the feces. [8] [9]
Apremilast is a phthalimide derivative. It is a white to pale yellow, nonhygroscopic powder that is practically insoluble in water and buffer solutions in a wide pH range, but is soluble in lipophilic solvents such as acetone, acetonitrile, butanone, dichloromethane, and tetrahydrofuran. [16]
In vitro, apremilast reduces PDE4 activity, leading to an increase in cyclic-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) concentrations in immune and nonimmune cell types, partially inhibiting the production of many pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IFN-γ IL-2, IL-12, and IL-23 and elevating the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. [17] [18] The inhibition potency of apremilast in TNF-α production is similar to lenalidomide. [19]
Celgene reported seven kinds of crystal forms — A, B, C, D, E, F, and G — and thought the crystal form B was the most thermodynamically stable anhydrous form. However, Utopharm reported another more thermodynamically stable anhydrous crystal form II than the crystal form B. [20]
Apremilast was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2014, for treatment of adults with active psoriatic arthritis and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, and approved in 2019, for oral ulcers associated with Behçet's disease. [21] [22] [23] Apremilast is taken by mouth. [24]
Apremilast is available in the US, but is dispensed only through a network of specialty pharmacies. [21] The estimated wholesale price is US$22,500 for a year of treatment. [24] In Austria, a year of treatment costs health insurances about €11,000 as of 2018. [25] Celgene made Otezla available in the UK in 2015. [26]
In 2019, Amgen acquired Otezla from Celgene for $13.4 billion. [27] [28]
In 2020, Otezla generated $2.2 billion for Amgen. [29]
Apremilast was listed on the PBS in Australia in January 2021, for chronic plaque psoriasis. [30] As of October 2024, the cost to the Australian government for a year of treatment is about $8500, and the cost to consumer is about $400. [31]
Apremilast was approved for use in the European Union in January 2015. [6]
Generic versions of the medication are available in Canada. [32] In April 2023, an American court case confirmed Amgen's patents on Otezla until 2028, delaying the introduction of generics until at least that date. [33] In February 2024, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Apremilast Accord, intended for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis and Behcet's disease. [7] The applicant for this medicinal product is Accord Healthcare S.L.U. [7] Apremilast Accord was approved for medical use in the European Union in April 2024. [7]
Apremilast has been studied as a treatment for alcohol-use disorder. [34] [35]
Psoriasis is a long-lasting, noncontagious autoimmune disease characterized by patches of abnormal skin. These areas are red, pink, or purple, dry, itchy, and scaly. Psoriasis varies in severity from small localized patches to complete body coverage. Injury to the skin can trigger psoriatic skin changes at that spot, which is known as the Koebner phenomenon.
Infliximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody, sold under the brand name Remicade among others, is a medication used to treat a number of autoimmune diseases. This includes Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and Behçet's disease. It is given by slow injection into a vein, typically at six- to eight-week intervals.
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a long-term inflammatory arthritis that occurs in people affected by the autoimmune disease psoriasis. The classic feature of psoriatic arthritis is swelling of entire fingers and toes with a sausage-like appearance. This often happens in association with changes to the nails such as small depressions in the nail (pitting), thickening of the nails, and detachment of the nail from the nailbed. Skin changes consistent with psoriasis frequently occur before the onset of psoriatic arthritis but psoriatic arthritis can precede the rash in 15% of affected individuals. It is classified as a type of seronegative spondyloarthropathy.
Etanercept, sold under the brand name Enbrel among others, is a biologic medical product that is used to treat autoimmune diseases by interfering with tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a soluble inflammatory cytokine, by acting as a TNF inhibitor. It has US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to treat rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, plaque psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) is the "master regulator" of the inflammatory (immune) response in many organ systems. Autoimmune diseases are caused by an overactive immune response. Etanercept has the potential to treat these diseases by inhibiting TNF-alpha.
Amgen Inc. is an American multinational biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. One of the world's largest independent biotechnology companies, As of 2022, Amgen has approximately 24,000 staff in total.
Adalimumab, sold under the brand name Humira and others, is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug and monoclonal antibody used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and uveitis. It is administered by subcutaneous injection. It works by inactivating tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα).
Biological therapy, the use of medications called biopharmaceuticals or biologics that are tailored to specifically target an immune or genetic mediator of disease, plays a major role in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Even for diseases of unknown cause, molecules that are involved in the disease process have been identified, and can be targeted for biological therapy. Many of these molecules, which are mainly cytokines, are directly involved in the immune system. Biological therapy has found a niche in the management of cancer, autoimmune diseases, and diseases of unknown cause that result in symptoms due to immune related mechanisms.
Biological response modifiers (BRMs) are substances that modify immune responses. They can be endogenous or exogenous, and they can either enhance an immune response or suppress it. Some of these substances arouse the body's response to an infection, and others can keep the response from becoming excessive. Thus they serve as immunomodulators in immunotherapy, which can be helpful in treating cancer and in treating autoimmune diseases, such as some kinds of arthritis and dermatitis. Most BRMs are biopharmaceuticals (biologics), including monoclonal antibodies, interleukin 2, interferons, and various types of colony-stimulating factors. "Immunotherapy makes use of BRMs to enhance the activity of the immune system to increase the body's natural defense mechanisms against cancer", whereas BRMs for rheumatoid arthritis aim to reduce inflammation.
Ustekinumab, sold under the brand name Stelara among others, is a monoclonal antibody medication developed by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, for the treatment of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, targeting both IL-12 and IL-23.
Golimumab, sold under the brand name Simponi, is a human monoclonal antibody which is used as an immunosuppressive medication. Golimumab targets tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), a pro-inflammatory molecule and hence is a TNF inhibitor. Profound reduction in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, interleukin (IL)-6, intercellaular adhesion molecules (ICAM)-1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) demonstrates golimumab as an effective modulator of inflammatory markers and bone metabolism. Golimumab is given via subcutaneous injection.
Tocilizumab, sold under the brand name Actemra among others, is an immunosuppressive drug, used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, giant cell arteritis, cytokine release syndrome, COVID‑19, and systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). It is a humanized monoclonal antibody against the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R). Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a cytokine that plays an important role in immune response and is implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases, such as autoimmune diseases, multiple myeloma and prostate cancer. Tocilizumab was jointly developed by Osaka University and Chugai, and was licensed in 2003 by Hoffmann-La Roche.
A Janus kinase inhibitor, also known as JAK inhibitor or jakinib, is a type of immune modulating medication, which inhibits the activity of one or more of the Janus kinase family of enzymes, thereby interfering with the JAK-STAT signaling pathway in lymphocytes.
A phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, commonly referred to as a PDE4 inhibitor, is a drug used to block the degradative action of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) on cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). It is a member of the larger family of PDE inhibitors. The PDE4 family of enzymes are the most prevalent PDE in immune cells. They are predominantly responsible for hydrolyzing cAMP within both immune cells and cells in the central nervous system.
Tofacitinib, sold under the brand Xeljanz among others, is a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. It is a janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, discovered and developed by the National Institutes of Health and Pfizer.
Brodalumab, sold under the brand name Siliq in the US and Kyntheum in the EU, is a human monoclonal antibody designed for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
Ixekizumab, sold under the brand name Taltz, is an injectable medication for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Chemically, it is a form of a humanized monoclonal antibody. The substance acts by binding interleukin 17A and neutralizing it, reducing inflammation.
Secukinumab, sold under the brand name Cosentyx among others, is a human IgG1κ monoclonal antibody used for the treatment of psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis. It binds to the protein interleukin (IL)-17A and is marketed by Novartis.
Guselkumab, sold under the brand name Tremfya, is a monoclonal antibody against interleukin-23 used for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis.
Risankizumab, sold under the brand name Skyrizi, is a humanized monoclonal antibody used for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and Crohn's disease. It is designed to target interleukin 23A (IL-23A). It is given by subcutaneous injection.
Bimekizumab, sold under the brand name Bimzelx, is a humanized anti-IL17A, anti-IL-17F, and anti-IL17AF monoclonal antibody that is used to treat plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.