How long should you use Duobrii?

Official answer

by Drugs.com

There is no limit on how long you can use Duobrii Lotion, but you should stop using it when your psoriasis has cleared and your doctor tells you to stop treatment. Once your skin is clear it may stay that way for up to 3 months after treatment.

If you have side effects, contact your doctor. You may need to stop treatment if you develop skin thinning (atrophy), inflamed hair follicles (folliculitis), stretch marks (striae) or visible broken capillaries like spider veins (telangiectasias).

Do not use more than 50 grams of Duobrii per week (every 7 days) because it may cause side effects like suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

Prolonged use of very potent topical corticosteroids like halobetasol may suppress the HPA axis and reduce cortisol production. Cortisol is the natural stress hormone found in humans.

Cortisol is essential for responses to stressful events, like illness or surgery, and helps to control metabolism, blood pressure, and the sleep-wake cycle. Suppression of cortisol may also increase your risk for infections.

Do not use Duobrii with occlusive dressings (like bandages or wraps) unless directed by your doctor.

Avoid application of Duobrii Lotion on the face, groin, or in the axillae (underarm or armpit area). Duobrii Lotion is not for use in the mouth, eyes or vagina. Do not apply it to skin that has eczema.

Duobrii lotion cannot be used during pregnancy as it may cause birth defects. Females must not be pregnant when they start using Duobrii or become pregnant during treatment. Talk to your doctor about an effective form of birth control before starting treatment.

What is Duobrii used to treat?

Duobrii (generic name: halobetasol / tazarotene) is a prescription topical lotion used to treat plaque psoriasis in adults. It is applied once-daily.

Plaque psoriasis is a chronic (long-term) skin condition often found on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back. It is characterized by raised, red lesions with a flaky, silver to white scale that may itch, burn or bleed.

Psoriasis is thought to be caused by an overactive immune response that attacks normal tissues. It is considered an autoimmune disease.

Duobrii contains a corticosteroid and retinoid combination. Each gram of Duobrii Lotion contains 0.1 mg of halobetasol propionate and 0.45 mg of tazarotene. These medicines work together to help treat psoriasis symptoms.

Halobetasol is a very high potency topical corticosteroid medicine. It works by blocking the release of inflammatory substances in the body that can cause pain, redness, and itching. It can also help to relieve dryness, crusting or scaling often seen in plaque psoriasis. It has antiproliferative action, which means it helps to inhibit skin cell growth in psoriasis.

Tazarotene is a retinoid medicine that is similar to vitamin A. Tazarotene also has antiproliferative action, helps relieve inflammation and itching, and helps to build the epidermis and collagen layers of skin.

Using a combination treatment like Duobrii, that combines a corticosteroid treatment plus a retinoid, may increase effectiveness while lowering the risk for serious side effects seen with long-term use of higher dose corticosteroids

Duobrii (halobetasol propionate and tazarotene) is manufactured by Bausch Health and was first approved for plaque psoriasis treatment in April 2019.

How long does it take for Duobrii to work?

In studies, significant improvement is psoriasis symptoms have been seen in as early as 2 weeks.

In patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, statistically significant improvement in symptoms occurred as early as two weeks when compared to the vehicle (a lotion with no active medicine).

In two clinical studies with over 400 patients, 36% and 45% of participants had achieved the primary efficacy outcome by 8 weeks, compared to 7% and 13% using the vehicle.

Safety was demonstrated for up to 24 weeks with continuous use.

Common side effects with Duobrii

The most common side effects are:

redness

itching

swelling

burning

stinging

pain at the application site

inflamed hair follicles (folliculitis)

thinning of the skin (atrophy)

skin peeling

skin rash

These are not all of the possible side effects of Duobrii. Contact your doctor for further advice.

This is not all the information you need to know about Duobrii (halobetasol / tazarotene) Lotion for safe and effective use and does not take the place of your doctor’s directions. Review the full product information and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.

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