Trade names Picato Routes of
administration Topical (gel) Legal status US: ℞-only | AHFS/Drugs.com picato ATC code D06BX02 (WHO) Molar mass 430.534 g/mol | |
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Pregnancy
category US: C (Risk not ruled out) | ||
Here s what happens to my skin after i use picato ingenol mebutate for actinic keratosis
Ingenol mebutate (ingenol-3-angelate, PEP005, LEO Pharma trade name Picato) is a substance found in the sap of the plant Euphorbia peplus and an inducer of cell death. A gel formulation of the drug has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the topical treatment of actinic keratosis. Two different strengths of the gel are approved for use on either the face and scalp (0.015%) or the trunk and extremities (0.05%), respectively.
Contents
- Here s what happens to my skin after i use picato ingenol mebutate for actinic keratosis
- Adverse effects
- Interactions
- Chemistry
- Research
- References
Results from four multicenter, randomized, double-blind studies have shown that ingenol mebutate gel applied topically for 2 to 3 days is effective for field treatment of actinic keratoses.
Adverse effects
Irritations of the application site are very common. This includes redness, scaling, crusting, pain, pruritus, and sometimes infection. Other side effects include eye irritation such as periorbital edema (3% of patients in studies), headache (2%) and nasopharyngitis (running nose, 2%).
Allergic reactions or shingles may also occur.
Interactions
As ingenol mebutate is practically not absorbed through the skin, interactions with oral drugs are unlikely.
Chemistry
The substance is an ester of the diterpene ingenol and angelic acid. A 3-step semisynthesis of ingenol mebutate starting from ingenol was described. A 14-step synthesis of (+)-ingenol from (+)-3-carene, which is a relatively inexpensive constituent of turpentine, was published in July 2013.
Research
Ingenol mebutate has also been found to be useful for reactivating latent HIV virus in cells taken from individuals who have tested negative for signs of the disease following extended courses of anti-retroviral drugs, raising the possibility that this drug may be used to expose the last traces of virus, and thus potentially provide a permanent cure for HIV infection. Research is ongoing to determine whether the effects observed in vitro are also seen in animal models, with a view to eventual human trials for this application.