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What is Taclonex?

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

Taclonex is a vitamin D / topical steroid hybrid that was created with the intention of improving the efficacy and response time of to Dovonex.  It was approved by the FDA in 2008 for use with psoriasis and is available by prescription only.

Patients using Taclonex typically see an improvement in their plaque psoriasis within one week.  It is not recommended that this drug be used for more than 4 consecutive weeks.

Taclonex relieves the two main issues that characterize plaque psoriasis — inflammation and scaly skin.  Separately, these are the two effects that topical steroids and synthetic vitamin D solutions have on psoriasis.

Taclonex has many of the same side-effects as topical steroids (skin irritation and thinning) and vitamin D (too much calcium in the body sensitivity to sunlight).  There are a variety of other less common, more severe side effects that can occur with people who have allergic reactions or who are have pre-existing conditions.  Be sure to tell your doctor about any supplements or other drugs you may be taking if the possibility of taking Taclonex arises.

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What is Dovonex (Calcipotriene)?

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

Dovonex (a.k.a. calcipotriene or calcipotriol) is a topical psoriasis treatment used to control the excessive skin cell production (plaque psoriasis).  It a vitamin D derivative that is available by prescription only.   It is also known as calcipotriol, or calcipotriene.

The exact mechanism by which Dovonex controls skin cell production is not known, though it is thought to have a regulatory effect on T-cell activity.  T-cells are a part of the immune system that bring about excessive skin cell growth in response to psoriasis.

Typical dosage for Dovonex is twice daily to affected areas of the skin.

It was discovered that the corticosteroids helped to speed up the effects of Dovonex, so these two are sometimes prescribed simultaneously.  Mixing steroids with synthetic vitamin D brought about a new drug that was approved by the FDA in 2008 called “Taclonex.”

Dovonex has also been mixed with other topical treatments such as anthralin, Tazorac and coal tar to make it more effective.

Anyone on Dovonex should be careful about staying in the sun since it has been shown to increase the skin’s sensitivity to UV rays, in particular by speeding up the rate at which skin cancer develops.  Other side effects include excessive calcium absorption, irritation and a worsening of psoriasis symptoms.  Pregnant women are strongly advised against using this drug.  On rare occasions Dovonex has also been known to cause mood swings, a stretching / thinning of the skin, pair follicle pustules, dizziness and abdominal pain.

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