Deucravacitinib: Brands, Price & Uses in Bangladesh

Deucravacitinib is an oral, selective tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor approved for the following indications:

Established / Approved Uses

• Moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.
• Active psoriatic arthritis in adults, based on regulatory approval and supporting clinical trial data.

Important Notes on Use

• Deucravacitinib is intended for patients whose disease is significant enough to require a systemic (whole-body) treatment rather than topical therapy alone.
• Deucravacitinib is not recommended for use in combination with other potent immunosuppressants, including biologic therapies or other systemic immunosuppressive agents, as this combination has not been studied and may increase risk.
• Deucravacitinib is a relatively new class of medicine (a selective TYK2 inhibitor, distinct from JAK1/2/3 inhibitors); long-term comparative safety data are still accumulating, and use should follow current specialist guidance.

Recommended Dosage

Administration

• Take Deucravacitinib orally, with or without food, at approximately the same time each day.
• Swallow tablets whole; do not split, crush, or chew.
• If a dose is missed, take it as soon as remembered on the same day; do not double the dose to make up for a missed one.

Dose Adjustments

• Hepatic impairment: No dose adjustment required for mild-to-moderate hepatic impairment. Use is not recommended in severe (Child-Pugh C) hepatic impairment.
• Renal impairment: No dose adjustment established as necessary in mild-to-moderate renal impairment; data are limited in severe renal impairment, so use with caution and physician oversight.
• Elderly: No specific dose adjustment recommended, though clinical experience in patients over 65 years is more limited (see Use in Special Populations).

The most commonly reported adverse effects of Deucravacitinib (occurring in ≥1% of patients in clinical trials) include:

• Upper respiratory tract infections
• Increased blood creatine phosphokinase (CPK)
• Herpes simplex infections (including cold sores)
• Mouth ulcers (aphthous ulcers)
• Folliculitis (inflammation of hair follicles)
• Acne

Less Common but Clinically Important Effects

• Serious infections (see Precautions and Warnings for full discussion)
• Elevations in liver enzymes and triglycerides
• Rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown), suggested by marked CPK elevation with muscle pain/weakness

Patients should promptly report any signs of infection, unusual muscle pain/weakness, or dark urine to their physician.