calcipotriene 0.00005 MG/MG Topical Ointment

INDICATIONS AND USAGE Calcipotriene foam is indicated for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis of the scalp and body in adults and pediatric patients 4 years of age and older. Calcipotriene foam, is a vitamin D analog indicated for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis of the scalp and body in adults and pediatric patients 4 years of age and older. ( 1 )

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Comb the hair to remove scaly debris and after suitably parting, apply Calcipotriene Topical Solution, 0.005% (Scalp Solution), twice daily, only to the lesions, and rub in gently and completely, taking care to prevent the solution spreading onto the forehead. The safety and efficacy of Calcipotriene Topical Solution, 0.005% (Scalp Solution), have been demonstrated in patients treated for eight weeks. Keep Calcipotriene Topical Solution, 0.005% (Scalp Solution), well away from the eyes. Avoid application of the solution to uninvolved scalp margins. Always wash hands thoroughly after use.

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Flammability: Contents are flammable. Instruct the patient the avoid fire, flame, and smoking during and immediately following application. ( 5.1 ) Effects on Calcium Metabolism: If elevation of serum calcium occurs, instruct patients to discontinue treatment until normal calcium levels are restored. ( 5.2 ) 5.1 Flammability The propellant in calcipotriene foam is flammable. Instruct the patient to avoid fire, flame, and smoking during and immediately following application. 5.2 Effects on Calcium Metabolism Elevation of serum calcium has occurred with use of calcipotriene. If elevation in serum calcium outside the normal range should occur, discontinue treatment until normal calcium levels are restored.

CONTRAINDICATIONS Calcitrene ® (calcipotriene) ointment, 0.005%, is contraindicated in those patients with a history of hypersensitivity to any of the components of the preparation. It should not be used by patients with demonstrated hypercalcemia or evidence of vitamin D toxicity. Calcipotriene should not be used on the face.

CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY In humans, the natural supply of vitamin D depends mainly on exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun for conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to vitamin D 3 (cholecalciferol) in the skin. Calcipotriene is a synthetic analog of vitamin D 3 . Although the precise mechanism of calcipotriene’s antipsoriatic action is not fully understood, in vitro evidence suggests that calcipotriene is roughly equipotent to the natural vitamin in its effects on proliferation and differentiation of a variety of cell types. Calcipotriene has also been shown, in animal studies, to be 100-200 times less potent in its effects on calcium utilization than the natural hormone. Clinical studies with radiolabelled calcipotriene solution indicate that less than 1% of the applied dose of calcipotriene is absorbed through the scalp when the solution (2.0 mL) is applied topically to normal skin or psoriasis plaques (160 cm 2 ) for 12 hours, and that much of the absorbed calcipotriene is converted to inactive metabolites within 24 hours of application. Vitamin D and its metabolites are transported in the blood, bound to specific plasma proteins. The active form of the vitamin, 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D 3 (calcitriol), is known to be recycled via the liver and excreted in the bile. Calcipotriene metabolism following systemic uptake is rapid, and occurs via a similar pathway to the natural hormone. The primary metabolites are much less potent than the parent compound. There is evidence that maternal 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D 3 (calcitriol) may enter the fetal circulation, but it is not known whether it is excreted in human milk. The systemic disposition of calcipotriene is expected to be similar to that of the naturally occurring vitamin.