Topicals (Other)
Alitretinoin (panretin ® )
Mechanism of Action Alitretinoin (9-cis-retinoic acid) is a naturally-occurring endogenous retinoid that binds to and activates all known intracellular retinoid receptor subtypes (RARα, RARβ, RARγ, RXRα, RXRβ and RXRγ). Once activated these receptors function as transcription factors that regulate the expression of genes that control the process of cellular differentiation and proliferation in both normal and neoplastic cells. Alitretinoin inhibits the growth of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) cells in vitro. INDICATIONS AND USAGE CONTRAINDICATIONS Dosing: Sufficient gel should be applied to cover the lesion with a generous coating. The gel should be allowed to dry for three to five minutes before covering with clothing. Because unaffected skin may become irritated, application of the gel to normal skin surrounding the lesions should be avoided. In addition, do not apply the gel on or near mucosal surfaces of the body. A response of KS lesions may be seen as soon as two weeks after initiation of therapy but most patients require longer application. With continued application, further benefit may be attained. Some patients have required over 14 weeks to respond. In clinical trials, Panretin® gel was applied for up to 96 weeks. Panretin® gel should be continued as long as the patient is deriving benefit. Occlusive dressings should not be used with Panretin® gel. Supplied: Gel: 0.1% (60 g tube) |
Becaplermin (regranex ®)
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY REGRANEX Gel has biological activity similar to that of endogenous platelet-derived growth factor, which includes promoting the chemotactic recruitment and proliferation of cells involved in wound repair and enhancing the formation of granulation tissue. INDICATIONS AND USAGE The efficacy of REGRANEX Gel has not been established for the treatment of pressure ulcers and venous stasis ulcers (see Clinical Studies) and has not been evaluated for the treatment of diabetic neuropathic ulcers that do not extend through the dermis into subcutaneous tissue (Stage I or II, IAET staging classification) or ischemic diabetic ulcers. CONTRAINDICATIONS Dosage: The amount of becaplermin to be applied will vary depending on the size of the ulcer area. To calculate the length of gel applied to the ulcer, measure the greatest length of the ulcer by the greatest width of the ulcer in inches. Tube size will determine the formula used in the calculation. For a 15 or 7.5 g tube, multiply length x width x 0.6. For a 2 g tube, multiply length x width x 1.3. Note: If the ulcer does not decrease in size by ~30% after 10 weeks of treatment or complete healing has not occurred in 20 weeks, continued treatment with becaplermin gel should be reassessed. Supplied: |
Brimonidine (mirvaso ® ) topical gel
Drug UPDATES: MIRVASO ® (brimonidine) topical gel, for topical use [Drug information / PDF] Dosing: Click (+) next to Dosage and Administration section (drug info link) Initial U.S. Approval: 2013 Mechanism of Action: Brimonidine is a relatively selective alpha-2 adrenergic agonist. Topical application of MIRVASO topical gel may reduce erythema through direct vasoconstriction. INDICATIONS AND USAGE: MIRVASO (brimonidine) topical gel, 0.33% is an alpha adrenergic agonist indicated for the topical treatment of persistent (nontransient) facial erythema of rosacea in adults 18 years of age or older. HOW SUPPLIED: Gel, 0.33%; Each gram of gel contains 5 mg of brimonidine tartrate, equivalent to 3.3 mg of brimonidine free base. |
Calamine
USES: Soothing and protecting the skin following minor skin irritations (itching, pain, and discomfort) including poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Calamine Lotion is a skin protectant. It works by soothing and protecting the skin. HOW TO USE: Wash and completely dry the affected area before applying the lotion. Shake lotion well before use. Apply this medication to the affected area of skin, generally three to four times daily or as directed by your physician. Learn proper use of this medication. Consult your pharmacist. This medicine is for external use only. Notify your doctor if your condition does not improve in 7 days. |
Capsaicin (arthricare®, zostrix ®)
Topical treatment of pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, diabetic neuropathy; postsurgical pain
Mechanism of Action Dosing (Adults): Topical: Apply to affected area at least 3-4 times/day; application frequency less than 3-4 times/day prevents the total depletion, inhibition of synthesis, and transport of substance P resulting in decreased clinical efficacy and increased local discomfort Admin: Wear gloves to apply; wash hands with soap and water after applying to avoid spreading to eyes or other sensitive areas of the body. Supplied: |
Doxepin (zonalon ®)
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY Although doxepin HCl does have H1 and H2 histamine receptor blocking actions, the exact mechanism by which doxepin exerts its antipruritic effect is unknown. Zonalon® Cream can produce drowsiness which may reduce awareness, including awareness of pruritic symptoms. In 19 pruritic eczema patients treated with Zonalon® Cream, plasma doxepin concentrations ranged from nondetectable to 47 ng/mL from percutaneous absorption. Plasma levels from topical application of Zonalon® Cream can result in CNS and other systemic side effects. Once absorbed into the systemic circulation, doxepin undergoes hepatic metabolism that results in conversion to pharmacologically-active desmethyldoxepin. Further glucuronidation results in urinary excretion of the parent drug and its metabolites. Desmethyldoxepin has a half-life that ranges from 28 to 52 hours and is not affected by multiple dosing. Plasma levels of both doxepin and desmethyldoxepin are highly variable and are poorly correlated with dosage. Wide distribution occurs in body tissues including lungs, heart, brain, and liver. Renal disease, genetic factors, age, and other medications affect the metabolism and subsequent elimination of doxepin. INDICATIONS AND USAGE CONTRAINDICATIONS Zonalon® Cream is contraindicated in individuals who have shown previous sensitivity to any of its components ----------------------------- The risk for sedation may increase with greater body surface area application of Zonalon cream. Clinical experience has shown that drowsiness is significantly more common in patients applying Zonalon Cream to over 10% of body surface area; therefore, patients with greater than 10% of body surface area affected should be particularly cautioned concerning possible drowsiness and other systemic adverse effects of doxepin. If excessive drowsiness occurs, it may be necessary to do one or more of the following: reduce the body surface area treated, reduce the number of applications per day, reduce the amount of cream applied, or discontinue the drug. Occlusive dressings may increase the absorption of most topical drugs; therefore, occlusive dressings should not be utilized with Zonalon Cream. SUPPLIED: |
Emla ® (lidocaine/prilocaine)
Mechanism of Action: EMLA Cream (lidocaine 2.5% and prilocaine 2.5%), applied to intact skin under occlusive dressing, provides dermal analgesia by the release of lidocaine and prilocaine from the cream into the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin and by the accumulation of lidocaine and prilocaine in the vicinity of dermal pain receptors and nerve endings. Lidocaine and prilocaine are amide-type local anesthetic agents. Both lidocaine and prilocaine stabilize neuronal membranes by inhibiting the ionic fluxes required for the initiation and conduction of impulses, thereby effecting local anesthetic action. The onset, depth and duration of dermal analgesia on intact skin provided by EMLA Cream depend primarily on the duration of application. To provide sufficient analgesia for clinical procedures such as intravenous catheter placement and venipuncture, EMLA Cream should be applied under an occlusive dressing for at least 1 hour. To provide dermal analgesia for clinical procedures such as split skin graft harvesting, EMLA Cream should be applied under occlusive dressing for at least 2 hours. Satisfactory dermal analgesia is achieved 1 hour after application, reaches maximum at 2 to 3 hours, and persists for 1 to 2 hours after removal. Absorption from the genital mucosa is more rapid and onset time is shorter (5 to 10 minutes) than after application to intact skin. After a 5 to 10 minute application of EMLA Cream to female genital mucosa, the average duration of effective analgesia to an argon laser stimulus (which produced a sharp, pricking pain) was 15 to 20 minutes (individual variations in the range of 5 to 45 minutes). Dermal application of EMLA Cream may cause a transient, local blanching followed by a transient, local redness or erythema. INDICATIONS AND USAGE – normal intact skin for local analgesia. – genital mucous membranes for superficial minor surgery and as pretreatment for infiltration anesthesia. EMLA Cream is not recommended in any clinical situation when penetration or migration beyond the tympanic membrane into the middle ear is possible because of the ototoxic effects observed in animal studies. CONTRAINDICATIONS DOSAGE: Minor Dermal Procedures: For minor procedures such as intravenous cannulation and venipuncture, apply 2.5 grams of EMLA Cream (1/2 the 5 g tube) over 20 to 25 cm2 of skin surface for at least 1 hour. In controlled clinical trials using EMLA Cream, two sites were usually prepared in case there was a technical problem with cannulation or venipuncture at the first site. Major Dermal Procedures: For more painful dermatological procedures involving a larger skin area such as split thickness skin graft harvesting, apply 2 grams of EMLA Cream per 10 cm2 of skin and allow to remain in contact with the skin for at least 2 hours. Adult Male Genital Skin: As an adjunct prior to local anesthetic infiltration, apply a thick layer of EMLA Cream (1 g/10 cm2) to the skin surface for 15 minutes. Local anesthetic infiltration should be performed immediately after removal of EMLA Cream. Dermal analgesia can be expected to increase for up to 3 hours under occlusive dressing and persist for 1 to 2 hours after removal of the cream. The amount of lidocaine and prilocaine absorbed during the period of application can be estimated from the information in Table 2. Adult Female Patients - Genital Mucous Membranes Occlusion is not necessary for absorption, but may be helpful to keep the cream in place. Patients should be lying down during the EMLA Cream application, especially if no occlusion is used. The procedure or the local anesthetic infiltration should be performed immediately after the removal of EMLA Cream. ------------
Please note: If a patient greater than 3 months old does not meet the minimum weight requirement, the maximum total dose of EMLA Cream should be restricted to that which corresponds to the patient's weight. (see Instruction For Application below). Practitioners should carefully instruct caregivers to avoid application of excessive amounts of EMLA Cream. When applying EMLA Cream to the skin of young children, care must be taken to maintain careful observation of the child to prevent accidental ingestion of EMLA Cream or the occlusive dressing. A secondary protective covering to prevent inadvertent disruption of the application site may be useful. EMLA Cream should not be used in neonates with a gestational age less than 37 weeks nor in infants under the age of 12 months who are receiving treatment with methemoglobin-inducing agents. When EMLA Cream (lidocaine 2.5% and prilocaine 2.5%) is used concomitantly with other products containing local anesthetic agents, the amount absorbed from all formulations must be considered (see Individualization of Dose below). The amount absorbed in the case of EMLA Cream is determined by the area over which it is applied and the duration of application under occlusion. Although the incidence of systemic adverse reactions with EMLA Cream is very low, caution should be exercised, particularly when applying it over large areas and leaving it on for longer than 2 hours. The incidence of systemic adverse reactions can be expected to be directly proportional to the area and time of exposure. Instruction For Application ˜1 g strip Use the number of strips that equals your dose, like the examples in the table below. Dosing Information For adult and pediatric patients, apply ONLY as prescribed by your physician. If your child is below the age of 3 months or small for their age, please inform your doctor before applying EMLA Cream, which can be harmful, if applied over too much skin at one time in young children. When applying EMLA to the intact skin of young children, it is important that they be carefully observed by an adult in order to prevent the accidental ingestion of or eye contact with EMLA Cream. EMLA® Cream must be applied to intact skin at least 1 hour before the start of a routine procedure and for 2 hours before the start of a painful procedure. A protective covering of the Cream is not necessary for absorption but may be helpful to keep the cream in place. If using a protective covering, your doctor will remove it, wipe off the EMLA® Cream, clean the entire area with an antiseptic solution before the procedure. The duration of effective skin anesthesia will be at least 1 hour after removal of the protective covering. PRECAUTIONS ------------ EMLA CREAM MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED DOSE, APPLICATION AREA, AND APPLICATION TIME BY AGE AND WEIGHT* For Infants and Children Based on Application to Intact Skin
EMLA Cream is available as the following: NDC 0186-1515-01.....................5 gram tube, box of 1 NDC 0186-1515-01 NDC 0186-1516-01................30 gram tube box of 1, the 30 gram tube of EMLA Cream is packaged in a child resistant tube. |
Fluorouracil (efudex ®)
INDICATIONS Efudex is recommended for the topical treatment of multiple actinic or solar keratoses. In the 5% strength it is also useful in the treatment of superficial basal cell carcinomas when conventional methods are impractical, such as with multiple lesions or difficult treatment sites. Safety and efficacy in other indications have not been established. The diagnosis should be established prior to treatment, since this method has not been proven effective in other types of basal cell carcinomas. With isolated, easily accessible basal cell carcinomas, surgery is preferred since success with such lesions is almost 100%. The success rate with Efudex Cream and Solution is approximately 93%, based on 113 lesions in 54 patients. Twenty-five lesions treated with the solution produced 1 failure and 88 lesions treated with the cream produced 7 failures. DOSAGE: Efudex should be applied preferably with a nonmetal applicator or suitable glove. If Efudex is applied with the fingers, the hands should be washed immediately afterward. Actinic or Solar Keratosis: Apply cream or solution twice daily in an amount sufficient to cover the lesions. Medication should be continued until the inflammatory response reaches the erosion stage, at which time use of the drug should be terminated. The usual duration of therapy is from 2 to 4 weeks. Complete healing of the lesions may not be evident for 1 to 2 months following cessation of Efudex therapy. Superficial Basal Cell Carcinomas: Only the 5% strength is recommended. Apply cream or solution twice daily in an amount sufficient to cover the lesions. Treatment should be continued for at least 3 to 6 weeks. Therapy may be required for as long as 10 to 12 weeks before the lesions are obliterated. As in any neoplastic condition, the patient should be followed for a reasonable period of time to determine if a cure has been obtained. SUPPLIED: Solution, topical (Efudex®): 2% (10 mL); 5% (10 mL) |
Ivermectin - soolantra® cream
Drug UPDATES: SOOLANTRA ® (ivermectin) cream, 1%, for topical use Initial U.S. Approval: 1996 [Drug information / PDF] Dosing: Click (+) next to Dosage and Administration section (drug info link) U.S. Approval: 2014 Mechanism of Action: The mechanism of action of SOOLANTRA cream in treating rosacea lesions is unknown. INDICATIONS AND USAGE: SOOLANTRA cream is indicated for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of rosacea. HOW SUPPLIED: Cream, 1%, supplied in tubes of 30 g, 45 g and 60 g. |
Masoprocol (actinex ®)
Withdrawn from the U.S. market in June 1996.
INDICATIONS: MECHANISM: Usual adult dose Supplied:[10% cream] |
Pimecrolimus (elidel ®)
INDICATIONS ELIDEL® (pimecrolimus) Cream 1% is indicated as second-line therapy for the short- term and non-continuous chronic treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in non- immunocompromised adults and children 2 years of age and older, who have failed to respond adequately to other topical prescription treatments, or when those treatments are not advisable. ELIDEL Cream is not indicated for use in children less than 2 years of age DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION If signs and symptoms persist beyond 6 weeks, patients should be re-examined by their health care provider to confirm the diagnosis of atopic dermatitis. Continuous long-term use of ELIDEL Cream should be avoided, and application should be limited to areas of involvement with atopic dermatitis. The safety of ELIDEL Cream under occlusion, which may promote systemic exposure, has not been evaluated. ELIDEL Cream should not be used with occlusive dressings. SUPPLIED: |
Selenium sulfide (selsun ® )
INDICATIONS: Treatment of itching and flaking of the scalp associated with dandruff, to control scalp seborrheic dermatitis; treatment of tinea versicolor DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION: Tinea versicolor: Apply the 2.5% lotion to affected area and lather with small amounts of water; leave on skin for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly; apply every day for 7 days Shake well before using. May damage jewelry; remove before treatment. For external use only; do not apply to broken or inflamed skin. SUPPLIED: |
Tacrolimus (protopic ®)
Immunosuppressant.
INDICATIONS: PROTOPIC Ointment is not indicated for children younger than 2 years of age DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Apply a thin layer of PROTOPIC (tacrolimus) Ointment to the affected skin twice daily. The minimum amount should be rubbed in gently and completely to control signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis. Stop using when signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis resolve. If signs and symptoms (e.g. itch, rash, and redness) do not improve within 6 weeks, patients should be re-examined by their healthcare provider to confirm the diagnosis of atopic dermatitis. Continuous long-term use of topical calcineurin inhibitors, including PROTOPIC Ointment should be avoided, and application should be limited to areas of involvement with atopic dermatitis. The safety of PROTOPIC Ointment under occlusion, which may promote systemic exposure, has not been evaluated. PROTOPIC Ointment should not be used with occlusive dressings. PEDIATRIC - FOR CHILDREN 2-15 YEARS Apply a thin layer of PROTOPIC (tacrolimus) Ointment, 0.03% to the affected skin twice daily. The minimum amount should be rubbed in gently and completely to control signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis. Stop using when signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis resolve. If signs and symptoms (e.g. itch, rash, and redness) do not improve within 6 weeks, patients should be re-examined by their healthcare provider to confirm the diagnosis of atopic dermatitis. Continuous long-term use of topical calcineurin inhibitors, including PROTOPIC Ointment should be avoided, and application should be limited to areas of involvement with atopic dermatitis. The safety of PROTOPIC Ointment under occlusion, which may promote systemic exposure, has not been evaluated. PROTOPIC Ointment should not be used with occlusive dressings. Supplied: Ointment (0.03% and 0.1% for adults, and only 0.03% for children aged 2 to 15 years). |
Reference(s)
National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed Database.
Provides access to the latest drug monographs submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Please review the latest applicable package insert for additional information and possible updates. A local search option of this data can be found here.