Calcipotriene: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Calcipotriene is a vitamin d analog sold in the U.S. under 3 brand and generic names, for psoriasis. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Vitamin D Analog
- Treats (across its forms)
- Psoriasis
- Available as
- Spray/Inhaler · Topical · Solution
- Sold as
- 3 products — Sorilux, Calcipotriene and Dovonex
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $1 per gm — not your price
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How Sorilux is dosed
From the FDA label for Sorilux (application NDA022563). Other calcipotriene products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Calcipotriene foam is for topical use only. Calcipotriene foam is not for oral, ophthalmic, or intravaginal use. Apply a thin layer of calcipotriene foam twice daily to the affected areas and rub in gently and completely. Avoid contact with the face and eyes. For topical use only; not for oral, ophthalmic, or intravaginal use. ( 2 ) Apply twice daily. ( 2 )
Everything below is the FDA label for Sorilux (spray/inhaler, topical). Calcipotriene is also sold as solution, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Sorilux side effects
Adverse reactions reported in ≥ 1% of subjects treated with Calcipotriene foam and at a higher incidence than subjects treated with vehicle were application site erythema and application site pain. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Mayne Pharma at 1-844-825-8500 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . ( 6 ) 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared with rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. Calcipotriene foam was studied in four vehicle-controlled trials. A total of 1094 adult subjects with plaque psoriasis, including 654 exposed to calcipotriene foam, were treated twice daily for 8 weeks. Adverse reactions reported in ≥1% of subjects treated with calcipotriene foam and at a higher incidence than subjects treated with vehicle were application site erythema (2%) and application site pain (3%). The incidence of these adverse reactions was similar between the body and scalp. In an open-label study, 19 pediatric subjects age 12 to less than 17 years applied calcipotriene foam twice daily for 14 days and once on Day 15. Adverse reactions included application site pain, application site pruritus and pruritus [see Clinical Pharmacology…
Who shouldn’t take Sorilux
Calcipotriene foam should not be used by patients with known hypercalcemia. Do not use in patients with known hypercalcemia. ( 4 )
Every calcipotriene product we track (3)
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? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Topical | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Topical | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Topical | Generic | $1 | View → |
Combination products containing calcipotriene
A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.
How long calcipotriene keeps
No calcipotriene label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does calcipotriene expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsCalcipotriene and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for calcipotriene: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadNo information is available on the use of calcipotriene during breastfeeding. Because it is poorly absorbed after topical application, calcipotriene is probably a low risk to the nursing infant and is generally considered acceptable during breastfeeding, although some sources recommend avoiding the nipple area. Avoid application of the combination products containing betamethasone (Enstilar) to the breast. Only water-miscible cream or gel products should be applied to the breast because ointments may expose the infant to high levels of mineral paraffins via licking.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised October 15, 2024. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about calcipotriene
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 5,340 reports naming calcipotriene, and the FDA flagged 56% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- psoriasis1,290 reports
- pruritus424 reports
- arthralgia423 reports
- psoriatic arthropathy401 reports
- diarrhoea373 reports
- rash324 reports
- fatigue321 reports
- nausea305 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean calcipotriene caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is Sorilux?
Sorilux (Calcipotriene) is a vitamin d analog used to treat Psoriasis.
What kind of drug is calcipotriene?
The FDA classifies calcipotriene as a vitamin d analog. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take calcipotriene with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run calcipotriene against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is calcipotriene sold under?
We track 3 calcipotriene-containing products in the U.S.: Sorilux, Calcipotriene and Dovonex. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does calcipotriene come in?
Across the brands we track, calcipotriene is currently marketed as spray/inhaler, topical and solution, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic calcipotriene?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic calcipotriene product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Calcipotriene: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/calcipotriene
- MLA
- “Calcipotriene: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/calcipotriene.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
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.
Read the full FDA label for calcipotriene on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.