Etretinate
Encyclopedia
Etretinate is a medication
developed by Hoffmann–La Roche that was approved by the FDA in 1986 to treat severe psoriasis
. It was subsequently removed from the United States
market in 1998 and the Canadian
market in 1996, due to the high risk of birth defects.
and a long elimination half-life (t1/2) of 120 days, which make dosing difficult.
Etretinate is an aromatic retinoid, and therefore highly lipophilic. It is stored and released from adipose tissue, so its effects can continue long after dosage stops. It is detectable in the plasma for up to three years following therapy.
Etretinate has been replaced by acitretin
, a safer metabolite
of etretinate.
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
developed by Hoffmann–La Roche that was approved by the FDA in 1986 to treat severe psoriasis
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system mistakes the skin cells as a pathogen, and sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious. However, psoriasis has been linked to an increased risk of...
. It was subsequently removed from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
market in 1998 and the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
market in 1996, due to the high risk of birth defects.
Properties
Etretinate has a low therapeutic indexTherapeutic index
The therapeutic index is a comparison of the amount of a therapeutic agent that causes the therapeutic effect to the amount that causes death or toxicity ....
and a long elimination half-life (t1/2) of 120 days, which make dosing difficult.
Etretinate is an aromatic retinoid, and therefore highly lipophilic. It is stored and released from adipose tissue, so its effects can continue long after dosage stops. It is detectable in the plasma for up to three years following therapy.
Etretinate has been replaced by acitretin
Acitretin
Acitretin is a second generation retinoid. It is taken orally, and is typically used for psoriasis....
, a safer metabolite
Metabolite
Metabolites are the intermediates and products of metabolism. The term metabolite is usually restricted to small molecules. A primary metabolite is directly involved in normal growth, development, and reproduction. Alcohol is an example of a primary metabolite produced in large-scale by industrial...
of etretinate.
Precautions
- Etretinate is a teratogen, and may cause birth defects long after use. Therefore, birth control is advised during therapy, and for at least three years after therapy has stopped.
- Etretinate should be avoided in children, as it may interfere with bone growth.
- If a patient has ever taken etretinate, he or she is not eligible to donate bloodBlood donationA blood donation occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions or made into medications by a process called fractionation....
, due to the risk of birth defects.
Side effects
- HepatitisHepatitisHepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
- Pseudotumor cerebri
- Diffuse idiopathic skeletal HyperostosisDiffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosisDiffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis is a spondyloarthropathy also known as Forestier's disease and ankylosing Hyperostosis.It is a noninflammatory disease, with the principal manifestation being calcification and ossification of spinal ligaments and the regions where tendons and ligaments...