Formulary
Pimecrolimus: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Pimecrolimus clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
MedNext Academy | 3 min read
Pimecrolimus: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Pimecrolimus clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
Indications and dose
**Short-term treatment of mild to moderate atopic eczema (including flares) when topical corticosteroids cannot be used (initiated by a specialist)**
- **Adult** (To The Skin): Apply twice daily until symptoms resolve (stop treatment if eczema worsens or no response after 6 weeks).
**Short-term treatment of facial, flexural, or genital psoriasis in patients unresponsive to, or intolerant of other topical therapy (initiated by a specialist)**
- **Adult** (To The Skin): Apply twice daily until symptoms resolve (maximum duration of treatment 4 weeks).
**Short-term treatment of mild to moderate atopic eczema (including flares) when topical corticosteroids cannot be used (initiated by a specialist) for pimecrolimus**
- **Child 3 months-17 years** (To the skin): Apply twice daily until symptoms resolve (stop treatment if eczema worsens or no response after 6 weeks).
Cautions
Alcohol consumption (risk of facial flushing and skin irritation); avoid other topical treatments except emollients at treatment site; UV light (avoid excessive exposure to sunlight and sunlamps)
Contraindications
Application to malignant or potentially malignant skin lesions; application under occlusion; congenital epidermal barrier defects; contact with eyes; contact with mucous membranes; generalised erythroderma; immunodeficiency; infection at treatment site
Side effects
Common or very common Increased risk of infection Uncommon Neoplasms Rare or very rare Skin discolouration Frequency not known Lymphadenopathy; malignancy
Interactions
**Other interactions (8):**
- Potential interactions between pimecrolimus and other medicinal products have not been systematically evaluated.
- Pimecrolimus is exclusively metabolised by CYP 450 3A4.
- The present data indicate that pimecrolimus can be used simultaneously with antibiotics, antihistamines and corticosteroids (oral/nasal/inhaled).
- Application of pimecrolimus to vaccination sites, as long as local reactions persist, was not studied and is therefore not recommended.
- In a 5-year study in infants 3 months to less than 12 months of age at enrolment with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis patients with AD who were treated with Elidel cream or TCS displayed normal...
- Pimecrolimus has no photocarcinogenic potential in animals (see section 5.3.).
Pregnancy
Specialist sources indicate low risk based on animal studies; systemic absorption after topical application is also minimal.
Breast feeding
Use with caution (no information available); avoid application to the breast. M
Medicinal forms
Clinical governance
**Author:** MedNext Clinical Team. **Clinical reviewer:** Dr Shameer Deen, MBBS, MS, MRCS. **Sources:** BNF, Indian Pharmacopoeia, CIMS India. **Correction:** Report errors at support@mednext.academy.
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