| Psoriasis vulgaris
Otezla vs Tazorac
Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for psoriasis vulgaris.Deep comparison between: Otezla vs Tazorac with Prescriber.AI
AI compares prescribing info and payer-specific access barriers across 1,200+ formularies. Here's a preview of what prescribers are already asking.Safety signalsTazorac has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Otezla based on FDA-approved prescribing information
Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Tazorac but not Otezla, including UnitedHealthcare
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Category
Otezla
Tazorac
At A Glance
Oral
Once or twice daily
PDE4 inhibitor
Topical
Daily
Retinoid
Indications
- Arthritis, Psoriatic
- Psoriasis vulgaris
- Behcet Syndrome
- Psoriasis vulgaris
- Acne Vulgaris
Dosing
Arthritis, Psoriatic, Psoriasis vulgaris, Behcet Syndrome Adults: OTEZLA 30 mg twice daily or OTEZLA XR 75 mg once daily orally after 5-day titration starting at 10 mg; reduce to 30 mg once daily in severe renal impairment (OTEZLA XR not recommended in severe renal impairment).
Arthritis, Psoriatic, Psoriasis vulgaris (pediatric >=6 years) Weighing >=50 kg: OTEZLA 30 mg twice daily or OTEZLA XR 75 mg once daily orally after weight-based titration; weighing 20 to <50 kg: OTEZLA 20 mg twice daily orally; reduce to once daily dosing in severe renal impairment.
Psoriasis vulgaris Apply a thin film (2 mg/cm2) of 0.05% cream once daily in the evening to psoriatic lesions only; increase to 0.1% if tolerated and medically indicated.
Acne Vulgaris Apply a thin layer (2 mg/cm2) of 0.1% cream once daily in the evening to affected facial skin areas after gentle cleansing and drying.
Contraindications
- Known hypersensitivity to apremilast or to any of the excipients in the formulation
- Pregnancy (retinoids may cause fetal harm)
- Known hypersensitivity to any component of TAZORAC Cream
Adverse Reactions
Most common (>=2%) Diarrhea, nausea, headache, upper respiratory tract infection, vomiting, abdominal pain upper, nasopharyngitis
Serious Hypersensitivity, depression, weight decrease, severe worsening of psoriasis (rebound)
Most common (>=10%) Psoriasis: pruritus, erythema, burning; Acne: desquamation, dry skin, erythema, burning sensation
Serious Embryofetal toxicity, photosensitivity and risk of sunburn
Postmarketing Blister, dermatitis, urticaria, skin exfoliation, skin discoloration (hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation), swelling at or near application sites, pain
Pharmacology
Apremilast is an oral small molecule inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) specific for cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP); PDE4 inhibition increases intracellular cAMP levels and reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-17, IL-22, and TNF-alpha in blood and skin.
Tazarotene is a retinoid prodrug converted by esterase hydrolysis to tazarotenic acid, which binds retinoic acid receptors RAR-beta and RAR-gamma with relative selectivity and may modify gene expression in psoriatic and acne-affected skin.
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Most Common Insurance
Anthem BCBS
Otezla
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (12/12) · Step Therapy (12/12) · Qty limit (9/12)
No coverage data available for Tazorac.
UnitedHealthcare
Otezla
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (8/8) · Step Therapy (2/8) · Qty limit (8/8)
No coverage data available for Tazorac.
Humana
Otezla
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (3/3) · Qty limit (3/3)
No coverage data available for Tazorac.
Coverage data sourced from MMIT. Updated monthly.
Savings
Cost estimate not availableAmgen Safety Net Foundation: Otezla
Commercial or private insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE
No savings programs available for Tazorac.
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OtezlaView full Otezla profile
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Clinical data sourced from FDA-approved labeling. Coverage data via MMIT. Updated monthly.