Background:
Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated disease that varies widely in its clinical expression. Treatment options focus on relieving symptoms, reducing
inflammation, induration, and scaling, and controlling the extent of the disease. While significant data on
tazarotene in
psoriasis has been available for over 20 years, its main utility is in
acne. Objective: To review the clinical studies with
tazarotene in
psoriasis and establish its future role in the management of this chronic, incurable condition. Methods: An English language literature review was performed utilizing Medline, EMBASE, and the Web of Science to identify relevant articles, both clinical trials and reviews. Results:
Tazarotene is a very effective treatment for plaque
psoriasis, with significant reductions in both plaque elevation and scaling after 12 weeks. Efficacy appears to be dose and formulation dependent, and
erythema less responsive.
Tazarotene sustains clinical response posttreatment and may have an important role in maintenance
therapy. The most common side effect is mild-to-moderate local irritation, which limited its role as a single agent for
psoriasis. Efficacy is enhanced through combination with topical
corticosteroids (TCS).
Tazarotene may circumvent the problem of TCS tachyphylaxis, due to its sustained efficacy and provide tolerability benefits;
tazarotene increases epidermal thickness and may reduce the risk of
steroid-induced
atrophy. In addition,
tazarotene-induced irritation is reduced by the anti-inflammatory effect of TCS. A new fixed combination, well-tolerated
tazarotene/
halobetasol topical formulation is now available, which provides synergistic efficacy that is both rapid and sustained posttreatment. Conclusions:
Tazarotene is a highly effective
psoriasis treatment whose efficacy and tolerability can be enhanced through combination
therapy with TCS, and a new fixed combination topical formulation of
tazarotene and
halobetasol may provide an optimal management approach. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(12):1280-1287.