Creams play an important role in the treatment of plaque psoriasis to help improve the appearance of the skin and reduce itching. New medicines that target the underlying inflammation caused by plaque psoriasis have changed how health care providers treat the condition.
Zoryve cream works to clear the red, scaly patches caused by plaque psoriasis. Many people notice less itching soon after starting treatment with Zoryve cream.
How Does Zoryve Work for Plaque Psoriasis?
Plaque psoriasis is a long-lasting disease of the immune system that affects the skin and sometimes the joints. Both adults and children can get plaque psoriasis. In this condition, the immune system becomes overactive, though health care providers do not yet know what causes it.
People with plaque psoriasis have large areas of scaly, inflamed skin called plaques. These plaques are red and swollen with silvery-white scales. The appearance of the plaques may differ based on the person’s skin color. For those with darker skin, the plaques might not be as red or pink and scaling may be less obvious.
Plaques often appear on the scalp, trunk, and lower back. They can also develop on the back of the elbows and front of the knee, but other parts of the body may be affected as well.
Some people with plaque psoriasis also have arthritis, a condition that causes painful and swollen joints.
While plaque psoriasis mainly affects the skin and joints, it can also affect other parts of the body, such as the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys.
People with plaque psoriasis may not always have symptoms. Some may experience intense itching, especially with plaques on the scalp. Soreness and pain may also occur on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Many people with plaque psoriasis will have flare-ups and relapses when the disease worsens. In some cases, relapses of plaque psoriasis become very severe.
The goal of treating plaque psoriasis is to improve your quality of life and reduce your Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score. The PASI score evaluates the redness, thickness, and scaling of plaques, as well as how much of your body is affected by plaque psoriasis. Your PASI score can range from 0 to 72. A score of 10 or more usually means you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Healthcare providers can check if the prescribed treatment works by the changes in PASI scores over time. Lower PASI scores means you have fever symptoms.
Zoryve cream contains the medicine roflumilast, a phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibitor. Roflumilast blocks PDE4, a protein that breaks down a chemical called cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP). When the action of PDE4 is blocked, cyclic AMP levels rise. Researchers suggest that higher levels of cyclic AMP lower the production of chemicals that cause inflammation and help control symptoms of plaque psoriasis.
Zoryve cream treats the skin symptoms of plaque psoriasis, such as red, scaly patches. It does not address joint pain or other symptoms that may affect other parts of the body.
How Do I Use Zoryve Cream?
You apply Zoryve cream to your skin plaques once a day. Rub the cream completely over the patches until it disappears into your skin. Unless you need to apply the cream to your hands, wash your hands with soap and water right away after you finish. If someone else applies the cream for you, they must wash their hands right away after application.
What Are Other Unique Considerations to Be Aware Of?
If you have moderate to severe liver disease, then Zoryve cream may not be right for you.
When you apply Zoryve cream, some of the medicine enters your bloodstream. Your liver removes Zoryve from your blood by breaking it down.
If you have liver problems, it may not be able to break down Zoryve properly, and the levels in your blood may go up. Your health care provider will not prescribe Zoryve cream if you have moderate to severe liver problems. Before starting Zoryve cream, tell your health care provider if you have liver problems.
Tell your health care provider if you are or plan to become pregnant. While you may use Zoryve cream during pregnancy, your health care provider will recommend not using it during labor and delivery.
Tell your health care provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed while using Zoryve cream. To limit the amount of medicine your baby is exposed to, your health care provider will prescribe a small amount of Zoryve cream on the smallest area of your body for the shortest time possible.
If you are breastfeeding, your health care provider will recommend that you not apply the cream directly on the nipple or areola. If you must apply Zoryve cream to your chest, avoid direct contact with your baby’s skin during breastfeeding.
How Was It Studied for the Management of Plaque Psoriasis?
Two clinical studies tested if Zoryve cream was safe and effective for treating plaque psoriasis. All participants had plaque psoriasis and were at least 2 years old. The adults in the study had been diagnosed for at least 6 months, while children had been diagnosed for at least 3 months. Most of the participants were male (over 60%). The studies included people from the United States and Canada.
The studies compared Zoryve cream to a placebo with a tool called the Investigator Global Assessment (IGA). The IGA tool helps health care providers see how well the medicine clears plaques by rating the skin on a 5-point scale, where 5 means severe plaque and 0 means clear skin. These studies also looked at how Zoryve cream affected itching.
Another study was done to see if the effects of Zoryve cream were long-lasting. This study included only adults with plaque psoriasis. In this yearlong study, participants applied Zoryve cream to their plaques for 52 weeks. Efficacy was measured with the IGA tool and another tool called the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). What were the benefits?
Clearer skin: People who used Zoryve cream had clearer skin after 8 weeks compared to those who used a placebo. In the clinical studies, about 40% of people who used Zoryve cream had clear or almost clear skin after 8 weeks. In comparison, only about 6.5% of those who used the placebo had similar results. In the long-term study, the effects of Zoryve cream were maintained.
Reduced itching: In people who experience itching as a symptom of their plaque psoriasis, Zoryve cream led to reduced itching. Improvements in itching occurred within the first 2 weeks of treatment. In the clinical study, after 8 weeks of treatment, about 68.5% of people who used Zoryve cream reported reduced itching. In comparison, only about 31% of those who received the placebo had similar results.
Overall, most participants who used Zoryve cream were more likely to have clearer skin and less itching than those who used the placebo.
How Long Does It Take for Zoryve Cream to Work for Plaque Psoriasis?
You should see improvements in your skin plaques and itching a few weeks after you start Zoryve cream. For some people, their skin may be clear or almost clear after 8 weeks. Your itch may improve before your skin starts to clear.
Talk to your health care provider if your plaques and itch do not improve while using Zoryve cream. If your symptoms improve, do not stop Zoryve cream unless you speak with your health care provider first. Your psoriasis may worsen if you stop Zoryve cream. Your health care provider will tell you when you may stop using Zoryve cream.
How Can I Prevent and Manage Side Effects?
The most common side effect of Zoryve cream is diarrhea. Diarrhea may start soon after you begin treatment and may go away over time.
To prevent dehydration from diarrhea, drink plenty of water with electrolytes. Limit foods high in fiber and sugar as they can make diarrhea worse. Bananas, toast, oatmeal, white rice, applesauce, and broth may help improve diarrhea.
These are not all the possible side effects of Zoryve cream. Talk with your health care provider if you are having symptoms that bother you. In the U.S., you can report side effects to the FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch or by calling 800-FDA-1088. In Canada, you can report side effects to Health Canada at www.health.gc.ca/medeffect or by calling 866-234-2345.
What Kinds of Drug Interactions Can Happen?
Several medicines can affect the levels of Zoryve in your blood, which can increase the risk of side effects. Tell your health care provider if you take oral contraceptive pills because certain types may interfere with how your body breaks down Zoryve.
Other medicines may interfere with how well Zoryve is removed from your body.
- Clarithromycin and erythromycin, which are antibiotics used to treat certain infections
- Itraconazole and ketoconazole, which are used to treat fungal infections
- Fluvoxamine, which is used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Cimetidine, which treats heartburn
This is not a complete list of interactions. Tell your pharmacist or health care provider about all the prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, or other supplements you take or have recently taken. This will help them determine if there are any interactions with Zoryve cream. Talk to your health care provider about all your medical conditions.
Is There Any Cost Assistance Available?
You can find a savings card from the manufacturer of Zoryve cream. The savings card may allow you to pay as little as $0 for your prescription. You may be eligible for this savings coupon if you have private drug insurance. You can read more about the savings coupon at www.zoryve.com/save-with-zoryve-direct.
