Apremilast is a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor sold in the U.S. under 3 brand and generic names, for psoriatic arthritis. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
From the FDA label for Otezla XR (application NDA210745). Other apremilast products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
To reduce the risk of gastrointestinal symptoms, titrate to recommended dosage as follows: Adults with Psoriatic Arthritis, Plaque Psoriasis, or Behçet's Disease See Table 1 for the initial titration schedule. Recommended maintenance dosage is OTEZLA 30 mg twice daily or OTEZLA XR 75 mg once daily ( 2.1 ) Pediatric Patients 6 Years of Age and Older and Weighing at Least 20 kg with Psoriatic Arthritis or Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis See Table 2 for the initial titration schedule ( 2.1 ) For patients weighing 50 kg or more : Recommended maintenance dosage is OTEZLA 30 mg twice daily or OTEZLA XR 75 mg once daily ( 2.1 ) For patients weighing 20 kg to less than 50 kg : Recommended maintenance dosage is OTEZLA 20 mg twice daily ( 2.1 ) Dosage in Patients with Severe Renal Impairment : Adult Patients : For initial dosage titration, titrate using only morning schedule listed in Table 1 and skip afternoon doses. Recommended maintenance dosage is OTEZLA 30 mg once daily ( 2.3 ) Pediatric Patients 6 Years of Age and Older and Weighing at Least 20 kg with Psoriatic Arthritis or Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis : For initial dosage titration, titrate using only morning schedule for appropriate body weight category in Table 2 and skip afternoon doses ( 2.3 ) For patients weighing 50 kg or more: Recommended maintenance dosage is OTEZLA 30 mg once daily ( 2.3 ) For patients…
The following adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling: Hypersensitivity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Diarrhea, Nausea, and Vomiting [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Depression [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Weight Decrease [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Drug Interactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Psoriatic Arthritis : The most common adverse reactions (≥ 5%) are diarrhea, nausea, and headache ( 6.1 ) Plaque Psoriasis : The most common adverse reactions (≥ 5%) are diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache, including tension headache ( 6.1 ) Behçet's Disease : The most common adverse reactions (≥ 10%) are diarrhea, nausea, headache, and upper respiratory tract infection ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Amgen Inc. at 1-800-77-AMGEN (1-800-772-6436) or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. Psoriatic Arthritis Clinical Trials OTEZLA was evaluated in three multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (PsA-1, PsA-2, and PsA-3) of similar design in adult…
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Typical price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Tablet | — | — | View → | |
| 2 | 70/100 | Prescription | Tablet | — | — | View → |
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
| Imprint | Strength | Colour | Shape | Maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APR;30 | 30 mg | white | diamond | — |
| APR;20 | 20 mg | brown | diamond | — |
| APR;75 | 75 mg | pink | round | — |
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
OTEZLA/OTEZLA XR is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to apremilast or to any of the excipients in the formulation [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) , see Adverse Reactions (6.1) ] . Known hypersensitivity to apremilast or to any of the excipients in the formulation ( 4 )
Strong CYP450 Inducers Co-administration with strong CYP450 inducers (such as rifampin) decreases apremilast exposure and may result in loss of efficacy of OTEZLA/OTEZLA XR [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .
| 3 | 66/100 | Prescription | Tablet | — | — | View → |